Goodness and Mercy ministries founder Prophet Tapiwa Freddy has gone live speaking on the demolition of his church by council yesterday.

Freddy says he has been working with council adding that they did not tell him about the plans to demolish his church structure.

Writing on his live Facebook, Freddy said

“Ndirikurwadziwa . Ndigagone kuzvishingisa vakomana Ndirikurwadziwa veduwe ndirikurwadziwa.Harare City Council ndimi makatipa nzvimbo kana manga musisade maingotiudza tobva pane kutipwanyira CHURCH YAMWARI. IT IS WELL,” said Freddy.

Watch the live below…

Government has put in place tight measures with regards to repatriation of bodies into the country for burial as part of measures to protect the country from the deadly coronavirus.

According to a letter from government to funeral parlours, all bodies being repatriated into the country will be treated as contagious and requiring clearance from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

As a way of protecting the country against exposure to the deadly coronavirus, all bodies being repatriated to Zimbabwe for burial will be treated as contagiuos except in cases where the cause of the death is road accident, murder or other body injuries

Consequently all such mortal remains will require clearance by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe using the usual clearance channels.

Relatives accompanying the remains will be subjected to a mandatory 21 days quarantine at the designated points before proceeding to the funeral.

“Only the driver of the hearse is allowed to proceed to the final place of burial in Zimbabwe and is required to return back to South Africa immediately after burial,” reads part of the letter.

According to a

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has banned its officers from purchasing mealie while clad in police uniform.

Police officers have often been accused of abusing their authority by buying mealie meal in huge quantities, depriving other citizens of an opportunity to purchase the staple.

The officers would allegedly divert the mealie meal to the black market where it is sold for more than double the gazetted price.

Below is a memorandum from the Bulawayo Provincial Police Headquarters advising all stations in the province of the new regulations:

PROHIBITION OF PURCHASE OF MEALIE-MEAL BY POLICE OFFICERS IN UNIFORM STOP

THIS OFFICE OBSERVED WITH GREAT CONCERN THE LEVEL OF SERIOUS CONTEMPT AND DISREGARD OF POLICE STANDARD OF DISCIPLINE IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN BULAWAYO. MEMBERS ARE SEEN MOVING AROUND CARRYING BAGS OF MEALIE-MEAL IN UNIFORM. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT ADDRESSEES CMM WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT CEASE TO PURCHASE MEALIE-MEAL IN POLICE UNIFORM. OFFICERS AND MEMBERS IN CHARGE STATIONS ARE THUS DIRECTED TO COMPILE LISTS OF MEMBERS UNDER THEIR COMMAND AND FORWARD THEM TO THIS HEADQUARTERS AS ARRANGEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE WITH MILLERS TO DELIVER THE COMMODITY AT POLICE CAMPS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. ADDRESSEES ARE DIRECTED TO TREAT THIS SIGNAL WITHOUT DISDAINCY. ANYONE WHO SHALL BE SEEN LOADED WITH MEALEMEAL IN THEIR PERSON WHILST IN POLICE UNIFORM WILL BE ARRESTED AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN.

By Own Correspondent| Police officers in Bulawayo have been ordered to stop queuing for mealie-meal while on duty saying this was against their employment code.

This is contained in a letter to officers from Bulawayo Propol.

“This office observed with great concern the level of serious disregard of police standard of discipline in Central Business District and various locations in Bulawayo where members are seen moving around carrying bags of mealie meal in uniform STOP.

“With immediate effect cease to purchase mealie meal in police uniforms,” reads the directive in part.

Members In Charge have since been directed to compile names of police officers at their stations and forward them to the headquarters as arrangements have been made with millers to deliver the commodity at police camps for convenience.

“Addressees are directed to treat this signal without disdaincy stop anyone who shall be seen loaded with mealie meal in their person  while in police uniform will be arrested and disciplinary action taken STOP,” added the document.

The media has been urged to review the use of language when reporting on Covid-19 to ensure eradication of stigma.

This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr Nick Mangwana during an online discussion with journalists on the coverage of the disease, that was supported by the United Nations Development Programme.

He said most of the discrimination was being caused by ignorance and fear.

“We need to be very mindful of the language we use,” said Mr Mangwana.

“When we do our messaging as media, I believe we need to continue amplifying the positive message, informative messages ensuring that all the seven normal discrimination categories are attended to, including the age groups, disability, sexuality.”

Mr Mangwana said branding those thought to have been affected by Covid-19 as “suspects” was not proper

“You are being called a suspect just like someone found carrying transformer oil or found carrying a machete with blood,” he said.

“Why is a person who could be a victim of coronavirus called a suspected case. I think it’s a language we need to look at. Stigma is caused by harmful stereotypes.”

Mr Mangwana said journalists could now carry their duties during the Covid-19 lockdown without fear of harassment following the gazetting of a statutory instrument designating the profession as an essential service.

He apologised to some journalists who reported harassment by the security services before the enactment of the statutory instrument.

“We believe information plays a critical role in this fight against the invisible enemy called coronavirus,” said Mr Mangwana.

“Therefore, those that package, disseminate information to the public are critical in as much as their industry is, and those people are journalists.

“And the way that information is packaged is actually very important, but in line with the packaging of information comes the issue of marginalisation and in some instances discrimination and in other instances stigmatisation.”

Mr Mangwana said there were some sections of society like the disabled and a pressure group for journalists who had filed court applications on the packaging of information around Covid-19.

“If somebody takes us to court by saying the Ministry of Information should package information for the disabled, it’s a very tricky position for us because we don’t want to defend that, we believe if there are any shortcomings in what we are doing right now, that should be addressed,” he said.

“We believe we do not hold the patent to good ideas, so if anybody has good ideas they should engage rather than take us to court because what the court will pronounce is simply that, ‘please go and package information for the disabled’”.

Mr Mangwana said that would not be helpful since there would be no input from the disabled on how they want the packaging of information to be done.

He said the opening of the Covid-19 call centre was meant to attend to specific and individual needs from particular citizens because not everyone had access to the tools of communication.

Mr Mangwana said a national disaster like Covid-19 meant the law and the Constitution should be deployed to save lives.

Deputy Director of Disease Control and Epidemiology in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Isaac Phiri participated.

-State Media

It has come to my attention that vendors markets were being demolished in Epworth starting on the 22nd of April 2020 . This came as a surprise to Epworth Local Board Councillors and our community.

As the Chairperson of the Board , I was never informed of the decision . We are not aware of the Agenda and its origins , The Board secretary is in a position to explain the motive behind the demolitions as no Communication has reached my office yet.

As Epworth People’s Chairman, I want to make the record straight that all your councillors are not aware of these demolitions, where it is coming from, what is the motive behind, who sanctioned it and why this time of dual crises ie of covid 19 and extreme poverty that is harassing the ordinary Zimbabwean.

It is our duty to consult and communicate with the community in such times and had it been our decision, we would have engage the residents and communication cascaded as usual.

More than 85% of our residents are in the informal sector and such action that has impact on the livelihoods is communicated timeously. Your leadership shall not go against its people , and it is not Our culture to inflict more pain to the already suffering residents .

We shall communicate as soon as I get where this is emanating from.

Stay Safe Epworth
#StayAtHome
#Covid-19MustFall

Epworth Local Board Chairman
Cllr Batanai Masunda.

The latest Coronavirus death in Zimbabwe is the mother of former Minister and Member of Parliament for Mhondoro Mubaira, Sylvester Nguni.

He confirmed that his mother had no history of travel, stayed in a self-contained homestead with just two maids and two herders.

So far as her family are aware, none of her relatives from towns with confirmed cases of Covid-19 have made contact with her since the start of the lockdown.

She died in West End Hospital, where she had been taken when it was assumed she had a resurgence of an earlier non-Covid-19 infection. The positive Covid-19 diagnosis was the result of the routine test under the new system of testing all patients with flu-like symptoms.

The hospital has since stopped all admissions until further notice and patients already in admission are using the upper floors while the casualty department has since been fumigated.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Mr Nguni said he received a call from one of the maids at the beginning of the month saying his mother had a bout of flu.

He said then, they arranged medication for her and she seemed to have recovered.

However, he said, on Monday she began having difficulties in breathing resulting in them going to pick her up and bringing her to Harare for treatment.

“We are all still puzzled as to where she could have got the virus from. Our homestead is more like a self-isolated facility, which is detached from the rest of the community. She stayed there with two maids and two herd boys.

“None of us were in contact with her since the beginning of the first phase of the lockdown up until now,” said Mr Nguni.

VOA|Zimbabwe’s government has reduced the mandatory quarantine period for possible coronavirus cases by one-half. The government says it lacks the resources to take care of patients in isolation for the two-week period recommended by the World Health Organization.

Health Minister Obadiah Moyo says Zimbabwe does not have the resources to continue following the two-week quarantine period for people entering the country.

Speaking at a news conference streamed on social media, Moyo said the Cabinet has decided to reduce the quarantine period to seven days.

“And if they are found to be positive they will be sent to an isolation center. And if they are found to be negative they will be released. It decongests the facilities,” said Moyo.

That might be good news for returning Zimbabwean citizens, who have been complaining on social media about squalid quarantine centers which reportedly do not have running water.

Health experts see this move as dangerous. Dr. Alex Gasasira, the head of the World Health Organization in Zimbabwe, is urging those released to self-quarantine to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Zimbabwe has 29 confirmed cases. Four people have died.

“Several of the confirmed cases in Zimbabwe have been amongst people returning to Zimbabwe from countries which had a widespread of COVID-19. So, it is really in the public health recommended good to have a close monitoring of anybody who is returning to Zimbabwe at this time from such countries. So, this monitoring or quarantine could be voluntary or mandatory,” he said.

Zimbabwe had initially put the quarantine period at 21 days, even longer than the WHO’s recommendation.

Gasasira explains the importance of keeping possible coronavirus patients isolated while doctors watch them for signs of the infection.

“The 14-day is the average time – incubation period — between the time maybe infected and the time he or she develops symptoms. So, if you spend more than 14 days without developing any symptoms. the likelihood is that you are not likely to be infected,” he said.

The cash-strapped government says it has so far spent about 125,000 U.S. dollars on food and basic needs of 950 returning residents in COVID-19 quarantine centers. The cost of accommodation is not included in that figure, officials said Wednesday.

By Farai D Hove | Faced with humiliation after claiming a list of UK returnees who arrived earlier in the week are demanding hotel quarantine facilities, the state media paper, Herald, has published another story, this time saying 3 of them are Covid positive, a label that could affect the whole group, unfairly.

Yesterday the government was further exposed after falsely claiming that hotels have refused to accept the group on fears of taking on “the COVID label” – what permanent secretary Nick Mangwana claimed.

The latest allegation (picture) is however totally misleading and untrue, ZimEye.com reveals. The issue of COVID patients being unleashed into the premises, had already been reported as far back as Monday. By Tuesday morning these very details were the subject of media interviews as the UK returnees questioned why government has done this. It was therewith, revealed that the patients are not at all part of the group. In fact in one of the videos, one of the returnees can be heard revealing that when they arrived they found the premises already occupied by patients.

In another video, the complainant says government has unleashed COVID positive number 24 onto the group.

Police were alerted following the ZimEye interview, to attend the premises and ensure the patients do not intermingle with the patients.

ZimEye reveals the LIVE video interviews which are fully timestamped.

In making these allegations, it was believed the government seeks to justify their agenda of forcing hotels not take the returnees in.

The latest drama comes as Chinese visitors are being unleashed onto the community by government and granted self quarantine treatment luxuries, while Zimbabweans are confined to waterless-toilet dungeons the likes of Belvedere Teachers College.

PICTURE

– ORIGINAL STORY –

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwean government is since January to date unleashing Chinese visitors into the community- granting the Asian country’s citizens luxury self quarantine treatment, while on the other hand imposing dirty waterless toilet facilities for returning black Zimbabweans.

The government spokesman Nick Mangwana on Monday claimed that there are 65 Zimbabweans who flew from the UK and now due for mandatory quarantining, who are demanding hotel Quarantine facilities, an allegation which has turned out to be untrue. The government is on video announcing official policy that Chinese visitors are not subjected to mandatory quarantining. Health minister Obadiah Moyo said, “we want to make sure that the arrangements that we have put in place with the Chinese Embassy here in Zimbabwe is maintained.

“They have been extremely good to us.

“They have come forward with solutions and one solution which they came with was that of ensuring that if anybody happens to come form China and arrives at one of our airports they will have to subject themselves to 14 to 21 day self quarantine, which is good.

“We did not tell them that, but they are the ones that came to us and said that is the way we want to go.”

(Watch below)

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Via inbox
Belvedere Teachers College
Harare, Zimbabwe

April 20, 2020

Dear Zimbabwe

Re: Government is Lying: We didn’t demand hotel housing; we demanded basic amenities

As a matter of fact, and for the avoidance of doubt, I’m one of the returning residents who came via an Ethiopian airline yesterday (Monday).

I don’t want to belabor you with a long read. I will therefore go straight to the point.

Yesterday, the permanent secretary in the ministry of information Nick Mangwana tweeted that we — overseas returnees — were demanding hotels. No, this is an outright lie! We did not demand hotel accommodation.

In fact, I was shocked when I read the tweet which many Zimbabweans believed, including those who purport to be frontline human rights defenders. And the Fourth Estate too was hoodwinked.

Here is the other side of the coin. Just like any other Zimbabwean citizen with rights including access to shelter, water and health amongst other basic amenities, we demanded to be housed at a decent facility.

Decent in as far as basic health as defined by health bodies in the wake of the coronavirus is concerned. By basic facilities we meant at least a room with a bed and blankets; toilets with running water and clean bathrooms.

Belvedere, a facility which government authorities provided doesn’t have all those. And government spin doctors led by Mangwana want all Zimbabweans and the rest of the world to laud government for a job well done when in fact what they are doing is exposing returning residents to COVID-19, a pandemic government is claiming to be working to halt.

That hundreds of desperate college students live in shanty facilities such as Belvedere with no complaints doesn’t make it a habitable place.

That other citizens returning via Plumtree and Beitbridge ports of entry have agreed to be housed in dirty, stinky and cholera-infested facilities doesn’t make it right either and doesn’t indicate at all that the government of Zimbabweans cares about its citizens.

If this treatment of citizens by Zimbabwean authorities has anything to show, it is that authorities who have presided over poor infrastructure including hospitals does not care at all about protecting its citizens from COVID-19.

While we understand that this is an abnormal situation, a period of crisis, no right thinking Zimbabwean should commend government for treating its returning citizens like animals.

When we arrived at Belvedere we thought authorities had already assessed the place and certified it as habitable. Although we did not expect anything flashy given the fact that this is a temporary quarantine facility in an emergency situation, we didn’t expect that we will be thrown in a place which doesn’t have basic amenities such as running water.

To make matters worse, government authorities who came to address us regarding our concerns were arrogant.

A case in point is when a senior official in the ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare threatened to unleash police on us, to force us to occupy an inhabitable accommodation.

“If you don’t comply we will ask police to enforce our commands,” the permanent secretary in the Social Welfare ministry who should otherwise know better about the government’s obligations about taking care of the vulnerable, us included, told us.

He added: “You can’t choose where to stay, we chose for you.”

This was after we had requested to be either quarantined at our homes or housed at a decent facility. Alternatively we requested the government authorities to open one of the hotels so that we pay living costs on our own while government provides food.

We also made it clear to the government authorities that we’re willing to be quarantined like other returning citizens but only if bare minimum conditions are met.

To those who have made insulting returning residents, their full-time jobs during this ongoing crisis; please know that while we understand the importance of being isolated from the rest of the community now, the conditions that returning residents are subjected to will in fact propagate the spread of COVID-19. While most of us are from Coronavirus hotspots, we don’t necessarily have the disease, but because of our poor living conditions in quarantine we’re now at more risk of contracting the deadly disease more than other citizens yet government should protect everyone equally.

And while some of you are wailing, thinking returning home is the stupidest thing to do, remember that some of the returnees are students whose accommodation has been withdrawn by their universities in countries such as the U.K and the U.S.

And also remember that some of the returning residents are people who had just visited for shorter periods and therefore cannot live in those countries indefinitely. After all it’s better to die in Zimbabwe where your family can bury you albeit within 24 hours than to die elsewhere where your family will not be able to access your mortal remains.

And by the way, returning residents also have homes where they can actually self-quarantine and cater for basic services our government is failing to meet.

While most of us are willing to be quarantined, we also do not understand why authorities are imposing a 21 day isolation, instead of the WHO approved 14 days.

Why should a cash-strapped government seek to host returning citizens for 7 extra days at it’s expense when it can use those resources to cater for more vulnerable communities who are already bearing the brunt of the extended lockdown, with barely no food?

And while you naysayers are supporting government on outright violation of human rights in the name of fighting COVID-19, remember that the government that you’re enabling to abuse it’s returning citizens now will not stop at that.

Post COVID 19 this government will continue to violate citizen rights because you enabled it to do so during a crisis.

Last but not least, Mangwana, we appreciate your ardent job in timely informing the nation about COVID-19, especially using real time platforms such as twitter. But I just have one request: Please stop spinning public interest information.

It doesn’t help your government and citizens who should make informed decisions during this unprecedented time.

And to gullible Zimbabweans, please always take what government authorities say with a pinch of salt. 99.9 percent of what they say is false or half-true.

The worst you can get from government authorities is a single story narrative. Find the other narrative before you opine on issues of public interest.

Quick updates:

1. There is still no running water at Belvedere.
2. Contrary to reports, police did not guard Belvedere so that returnees don’t riot or at worst escape. As a matter of fact, three police officers came, engaged with returnees then left after an amicable discussion.
3. Nomatter what authorities say, we won’t stay where we risk catching more viral diseases in addition to coronavirus. We will fight for our rights until we’re relocated to a facility that meets basic conditions: running water, one-person room, functional ablution facilities, bedding and food.

For the purposes of signing off, let’s just say my name is Case #0

Prices of basic food items — including maize-meal, rice, cooking oil, sugar, salt, flour and bread — will revert to the levels of March 25, just before the lockdown, in an agreement between producers and the Government, Vice President Kembo Mohadi announced yesterday.

VP Mohadi, in the presence of the leaders of the involved business organisations, made the announcement at a press briefing at Munhumutapa Offices. The Vice President said the two sides had agreed that prices of basic commodities would revert to the levels they had reached on March 25.

This was when the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe fixed the interbank exchange rate at $25 to US$1 for the duration of the Covid-19 emergency, the level it had reached in free trading in a managed float.

The chosen date means that the price rises caused by the rising rate during the managed float remain, but the extra price rises put in by producers in expectation of further rises in the exchange rate now fall away since for the time being there are no further rate changes.

The announcement followed the adoption of the price moratorium by Cabinet on Tuesday.

“There was a general agreement among the multi-sectoral partners that the price increase, particularly during the lockdown, was speculative and unjustified,” said the Vice President.

“The multi-sectoral stakeholders committed to a price moratorium to operate based on the prices, which were applicable on March 25. The moratorium will also apply to all value chain players. This was supported by Cabinet decision of April 21, 2020 and will take effect immediately,” VP Mohadi said.

Speaking soon after the announcement by VP Mohadi, Oil Expressers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Roderick Musiyiwa welcomed Government’s stance on dialogue.

“We as the OEAZ indeed welcome the spirit with which Government is doing its business, the spirit of engagement, the spirit of dialogue and with that kind of spirit any challenges, however big will be resolved and solutions will be found.

“We welcome this move and on our part we will ensure that the consumers continue getting their cooking oil at an affordable price,” Mr Masiyiwa said.

The cooking oil manufacturers would also engage their key value chain suppliers to ensure continuous supply of cooking oil.

Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, the chairman of the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, said the decision to freeze prices was collectively made.

“On behalf of the GMAZ we would want to vouch that the decision has been a product of consultation; it’s a collective decision that has been reached at by both the Government and private players for the benefit of consumers.

“As millers we are fully aware that food is a constitutional right and we are fully aware of the need to ensure the availability of our products in all retail shops,” Mr Musarara said.

Mr Denniss Wallah of the National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe said the decision was supported by his organisation’s membership.

“We welcome the decision that Government has made and we confirm that our members are willing to support the noble gesture and we are in a position to supply the market with the required product,” Mr Wallah said.

Consumer Council of Zimbabwe chairman Mr Philip Bvumbe said the decision had a buy-in from all stakeholders adding that there was need to monitor the implementation of the agreement to prevent shortages.

“We would want to applaud the move by Government but taking into cognition that this is a gentlemen’s agreement where the parties have agreed through consultation,” he said.

President of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Mr Denford Mutashu said the decision was made to cushion consumers. He said his organisation took part in the negotiations that resulted in the agreement to freeze prices.

“As the general public stays at home it deserve an uninterrupted supply of basic commodities at affordable prices,” Mr Mutashu said. “We will also ensure that as retailers we will fully implement and comply with the price moratorium and ensure that the citizenry does not starve at this critical time. It is our wish to work with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that there is supply of these basic commodities.”

The Ministry of Health and Child Care has come up with stringent measures to regulate the repatriation of bodies from South Africa into Zimbabwe through Beitbridge Border Post.

The move which follows consultations between South African based funeral parlours and authorities from the two neighbouring countries is part of the national responsive measures the Government is implementing to minimise the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zimbabwe’s Consul-General to South Africa, Mr Melody Chaurura said they had since communicated the new set of regulations to the funeral parlours.

“We have advised the funeral parlours on the new order after getting correspondence from the Ministry of Health and Child Care at home,” she said.

“Under the new order, all bodies being brought repatriated o Zimbabwe for burial will be treated as contagious except in cases where the cause of death is a road accident, murder or other body injuries.

“In addition, all remains now require the clearance of the Ministry of Health and Child Care prior to their transportation to Zimbabwe under the usual procedures.

“Relatives accompanying the remains are now being subjected to under mandatory quarantine at any port of entry upon arrival in the country before proceeding to the various destinations”.

Mrs Chaurura said they were still consulting with the Ministry of Health and Child Care on the proposal by the parlours that only drivers (funeral assistants) who will be in full gear of Personal Protection Equipment are expected to proceed to the place of burial in the country and return to South Africa soon after the burial.

She said though they had got a confirmation in principle was waiting for a written document to minimise the hustle that the parlours are encountering at Beitbridge.

“We consulted the Health Authorities at home over the fate of drivers and they agreed to allow them to proceed to the burial points, but it appears that instruction is yet to be communicated to border authorities,” said Mrs Chaurura.

The chairman of the Inner-City Funeral Directors Association- South Africa (IFDA-SA), Mr Nkosi Kwanike Nare said on Wednesday that they have since received communication from the consulate.

“This is a relief to the death Care Industry and we are thankful to the authorities for considering our proposal.

“We understand that there have been some information dissemination challenges with the Port of Entry Staff and we have been assured that it’s being taken care of,” said Mr Nare.

He said they had to approach authorities after encountering a number of challenges with border authorities over the ever-changing repatriation regulations.

In some cases, he said the parlours had to return with bodies to South Africa after failing to meet some of the requirements.

Mr Nare said they had been told to leave the bodies with Zimbabwean, parlours for onward transportation but that failed after they failed to agree on sharing costs.

“It costs an average of R15000 to transport a body from South Africa to Zimbabwe and our counterparts were now charging R12 000 from Beitbridge to inland Zimbabwe. This model proved to be difficult for our members’ ad most bereaving families,” he said.

Under normal circumstances at least 60 bodies are brought into the country through Beitbridge Border Post weekly for burial.

THERE will be no red carpet treatment for United Kingdom (UK) returnees who are under quarantine at Belvedere Technical Teachers’ College, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima has said.

The minister said the UK returnees would stay at the Belvedere Technical Teachers’ College during the quarantine period.

Prof Mavima’s statement comes after a batch of 26 Zimbabweans returning from the United Kingdom this week refused compulsory quarantine in Belvedere citing “poor conditions” and preferred to be checked into a hotel.

According to Government officials, the returnees knew that it was mandatory for everyone coming from Covid-19 hotspots to be in quarantine.

Government had a difficult time on Monday trying to negotiate with the returnees to accept compulsory quarantine. Minister Mavhima said the motive of the returnees’ in posting pictures and videos online was to tarnish the image of the country.

Minister Mavima said: “This is the tragedy of Zimbabwe. This is the tragedy that comes with cynicism and the tragedy that comes with self-hate. You cannot go and get the worst part and publicise it internationally for essentially the purpose of denigrating your own country,” he said.

Minister Mavima said he had instructed Permanent Secretary of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Secretary, Mr Simon Masanga to provide blankets and mattresses if the returnees needed them.

“There has been an inspection by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and they have said these facilities were ready to accommodate people,” he said.

“We will need to deal with the issue of water. There is currently water that is flowing into the hostels. There is also need for a booster pump and a filter for borehole water to go in,” he said.

Minister Mavhima said each wing had four showers and can host four or five people.

“The toilets are working properly. What we have instructed our people to do is to disinfect regularly — maybe two, three times a day, so that we can maintain the hygiene and sanitation. These are the interventions that we are making, but basically this facility is ready and we are satisfied.”

Prof Mavima said there had been no complaints over the food except for one person who is diabetic.

College principal, Ms Juliana Mbofana said the returnees were allocated rooms according to instruction from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“We have tried our best in allocating them rooms, dividing them according to the instructions from the ministry.

The Zimbabwean government is since January to date unleashing Chinese visitors into the community- granting the Asian country’s citizens luxury self quarantine treatment, while on the other hand imposing dirty waterless toilet facilities for returning black Zimbabweans.

The government spokesman Nick Mangwana on Monday claimed that there are 65 Zimbabweans who flew from the UK and now due for mandatory quarantining, who are demanding hotel Quarantine facilities, an allegation which has turned out to be untrue. The government is on video announcing official policy that Chinese visitors are not subjected to mandatory quarantining. Health minister Obadiah Moyo said, “we want to make sure that the arrangements that we have put in place with the Chinese Embassy here in Zimbabwe is maintained.

“They have been extremely good to us.

“They have come forward with solutions and one solution which they came with was that of ensuring that if anybody happens to come form China and arrives at one of our airports they will have to subject themselves to 14 to 21 day self quarantine, which is good.

“We did not tell them that, but they are the ones that came to us and said that is the way we want to go.”

(Watch below)

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PRESIDENT Mnangagwa’s son, Emmerson Tanaka Mnangagwa, reportedly lost US$1 500 to a bogus wedding garments supplier whom he had contracted to supply suits ahead of his wedding last year.

Samson Mavhunga (31) of Hillside, Harare, promised to deliver five men’s suits from Italy two weeks before the wedding.

He charged US$3 500 and Mnangagwa paid US$1 500 deposit, but nothing was delivered.

Mavhunga yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga charged with fraud and was remanded out of custody to May 7 on $1 000 bail.

As part of his bail conditions, Mavhunga was ordered to report once a week to the police and to surrender his passport.

Prosecutor Mr Tatenda Mukatera alleged that sometime in May last year, Mnangagwa met Mavhunga who indicated that he specialised in making and supplying wedding suits.

Mnangagwa expressed interest since he was preparing for his wedding, which was scheduled for August 25 of the same year.

Mnangagwa then gave Mavhunga an order to supply five bridegroom’s suits which he was supposed to order from Italy.
He was charged US$3 500 and paid a deposit of US$1 500. The balance was to be paid upon delivery of the suits on an agreed date.

It later came to light that Mavhunga had lied to Mnangagwa that he had capacity to supply the said suits.

Mnangagwa asked for a refund after nothing materialised and made a police report when he failed to get his money back.-State media

Farai Dziva|MDC president Nelson Chamisa has denounced the politicisation of Coronavirus aid by government officials.

On Wednesday Chamisa said the politicisation on aid was unfortunate.

“Zimbabwe needs a multi-phased broad range of measures to mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic on communities, individuals and businesses.

These include tax relief, support to vulnerable households and business and job protection.

Govt must stop politicizing or weaponizing this relief,” tweeted Chamisa.

By Farai D Hove | Faced with humiliation after claiming a list of UK returnees who arrived earlier in the week are demanding hotel quarantine facilities, the state media paper, Herald, has published another story, this time saying 3 of them are Covid positive, a label that could affect the whole group, unfairly.

Yesterday the government was further exposed after falsely claiming that hotels have refused to accept the group on fears of taking on “the COVID label” – what permanent secretary Nick Mangwana claimed.

The latest allegation (picture) is however totally misleading and untrue, ZimEye.com reveals. The issue of COVID patients being unleashed into the premises, had already been reported as far back as Monday. By Tuesday morning these very details were the subject of media interviews as the UK returnees questioned why government has done this. It was therewith, revealed that the patients are not at all part of the group. In fact in one of the videos, one of the returnees can be heard revealing that when they arrived they found the premises already occupied by by patients.

In another video, the complainant says government has unleashed COVID positive number 24 onto the group.

Police were alerted following the ZimEye interview, to attend the premises and ensure the patients do not intermingle with the patients.

ZimEye reveals the LIVE video interviews which are fully timestamped.

In making these allegations, it was believed the government seeks to justify their agenda of forcing hotels not take the returnees in.

The latest drama comes as Chinese visitors are being unleashed onto the community by government and granted self quarantine treatment luxuries, while Zimbabweans are confined to waterless-toilet dungeons the likes of Belvedere Teachers College.

PICTURE

– ORIGINAL STORY –

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwean government is since January to date unleashing Chinese visitors into the community- granting the Asian country’s citizens luxury self quarantine treatment, while on the other hand imposing dirty waterless toilet facilities for returning black Zimbabweans.

The government spokesman Nick Mangwana on Monday claimed that there are 65 Zimbabweans who flew from the UK and now due for mandatory quarantining, who are demanding hotel Quarantine facilities, an allegation which has turned out to be untrue. The government is on video announcing official policy that Chinese visitors are not subjected to mandatory quarantining. Health minister Obadiah Moyo said, “we want to make sure that the arrangements that we have put in place with the Chinese Embassy here in Zimbabwe is maintained.

“They have been extremely good to us.

“They have come forward with solutions and one solution which they came with was that of ensuring that if anybody happens to come form China and arrives at one of our airports they will have to subject themselves to 14 to 21 day self quarantine, which is good.

“We did not tell them that, but they are the ones that came to us and said that is the way we want to go.”

(Watch below)

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Via inbox
Belvedere Teachers College
Harare, Zimbabwe

April 20, 2020

Dear Zimbabwe

Re: Government is Lying: We didn’t demand hotel housing; we demanded basic amenities

As a matter of fact, and for the avoidance of doubt, I’m one of the returning residents who came via an Ethiopian airline yesterday (Monday).

I don’t want to belabor you with a long read. I will therefore go straight to the point.

Yesterday, the permanent secretary in the ministry of information Nick Mangwana tweeted that we — overseas returnees — were demanding hotels. No, this is an outright lie! We did not demand hotel accommodation.

In fact, I was shocked when I read the tweet which many Zimbabweans believed, including those who purport to be frontline human rights defenders. And the Fourth Estate too was hoodwinked.

Here is the other side of the coin. Just like any other Zimbabwean citizen with rights including access to shelter, water and health amongst other basic amenities, we demanded to be housed at a decent facility.

Decent in as far as basic health as defined by health bodies in the wake of the coronavirus is concerned. By basic facilities we meant at least a room with a bed and blankets; toilets with running water and clean bathrooms.

Belvedere, a facility which government authorities provided doesn’t have all those. And government spin doctors led by Mangwana want all Zimbabweans and the rest of the world to laud government for a job well done when in fact what they are doing is exposing returning residents to COVID-19, a pandemic government is claiming to be working to halt.

That hundreds of desperate college students live in shanty facilities such as Belvedere with no complaints doesn’t make it a habitable place.

That other citizens returning via Plumtree and Beitbridge ports of entry have agreed to be housed in dirty, stinky and cholera-infested facilities doesn’t make it right either and doesn’t indicate at all that the government of Zimbabweans cares about its citizens.

If this treatment of citizens by Zimbabwean authorities has anything to show, it is that authorities who have presided over poor infrastructure including hospitals does not care at all about protecting its citizens from COVID-19.

While we understand that this is an abnormal situation, a period of crisis, no right thinking Zimbabwean should commend government for treating its returning citizens like animals.

When we arrived at Belvedere we thought authorities had already assessed the place and certified it as habitable. Although we did not expect anything flashy given the fact that this is a temporary quarantine facility in an emergency situation, we didn’t expect that we will be thrown in a place which doesn’t have basic amenities such as running water.

To make matters worse, government authorities who came to address us regarding our concerns were arrogant.

A case in point is when a senior official in the ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare threatened to unleash police on us, to force us to occupy an inhabitable accommodation.

“If you don’t comply we will ask police to enforce our commands,” the permanent secretary in the Social Welfare ministry who should otherwise know better about the government’s obligations about taking care of the vulnerable, us included, told us.

He added: “You can’t choose where to stay, we chose for you.”

This was after we had requested to be either quarantined at our homes or housed at a decent facility. Alternatively we requested the government authorities to open one of the hotels so that we pay living costs on our own while government provides food.

We also made it clear to the government authorities that we’re willing to be quarantined like other returning citizens but only if bare minimum conditions are met.

To those who have made insulting returning residents, their full-time jobs during this ongoing crisis; please know that while we understand the importance of being isolated from the rest of the community now, the conditions that returning residents are subjected to will in fact propagate the spread of COVID-19. While most of us are from Coronavirus hotspots, we don’t necessarily have the disease, but because of our poor living conditions in quarantine we’re now at more risk of contracting the deadly disease more than other citizens yet government should protect everyone equally.

And while some of you are wailing, thinking returning home is the stupidest thing to do, remember that some of the returnees are students whose accommodation has been withdrawn by their universities in countries such as the U.K and the U.S.

And also remember that some of the returning residents are people who had just visited for shorter periods and therefore cannot live in those countries indefinitely. After all it’s better to die in Zimbabwe where your family can bury you albeit within 24 hours than to die elsewhere where your family will not be able to access your mortal remains.

And by the way, returning residents also have homes where they can actually self-quarantine and cater for basic services our government is failing to meet.

While most of us are willing to be quarantined, we also do not understand why authorities are imposing a 21 day isolation, instead of the WHO approved 14 days.

Why should a cash-strapped government seek to host returning citizens for 7 extra days at it’s expense when it can use those resources to cater for more vulnerable communities who are already bearing the brunt of the extended lockdown, with barely no food?

And while you naysayers are supporting government on outright violation of human rights in the name of fighting COVID-19, remember that the government that you’re enabling to abuse it’s returning citizens now will not stop at that.

Post COVID 19 this government will continue to violate citizen rights because you enabled it to do so during a crisis.

Last but not least, Mangwana, we appreciate your ardent job in timely informing the nation about COVID-19, especially using real time platforms such as twitter. But I just have one request: Please stop spinning public interest information.

It doesn’t help your government and citizens who should make informed decisions during this unprecedented time.

And to gullible Zimbabweans, please always take what government authorities say with a pinch of salt. 99.9 percent of what they say is false or half-true.

The worst you can get from government authorities is a single story narrative. Find the other narrative before you opine on issues of public interest.

Quick updates:

1. There is still no running water at Belvedere.
2. Contrary to reports, police did not guard Belvedere so that returnees don’t riot or at worst escape. As a matter of fact, three police officers came, engaged with returnees then left after an amicable discussion.
3. Nomatter what authorities say, we won’t stay where we risk catching more viral diseases in addition to coronavirus. We will fight for our rights until we’re relocated to a facility that meets basic conditions: running water, one-person room, functional ablution facilities, bedding and food.

For the purposes of signing off, let’s just say my name is Case #0

Farai Dziva|MDC MP for Mutasa South Constituency, Regai Tsunga was on Tuesday arrested and fined for distribution mealie to hungry villagers.

“It is a matter of regret that our Member of Parliament for Mutasa South, @regaitsunga has been fined for sourcing and donating mealie meal.

This is not the time to politicise assistance to the needy and vulnerable.

Instead, we should be joining hands to save lives,” MDC said in a statement on Twitter.

Tsunga and his aides were arrested and taken to Mutare Central Police Station where they reportedly paid RTGS $500 fine for an unspecified offence.

• In silence, onlookers walked past his body sprawled beneath a wanted poster offering $30,000 for him, dead or alive.
• New twist.
• ZIMBABWE, THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING CROP ECONOMY SUDDENLY CRASHED FOLLOWING MNANGAGWA’S PRONOUNCEMENTS

By Staff Correspondent| ZIFA’s spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela has responded to allegations by some quarters in Matebeleland who attack him saying that he is the son of the notorious so called dissident, Ranson or Richard Gwesela.

Gwesela is an infamous “immortal” character who the Zimbabwean military claimed they were after between 1983 and 1987 when they continued to kill civilians until a total more than 22,000 people were massacred. He was immortal for a whole 4 years and only “killed” when ZANU PF now wanted to sign a unity accord with Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU party in 1987.

Thousands of people sensationally flocked to a police station in Gweru on the 18th November 1987 for a glimpse of the bullet-riddled corpse of Zimbabwe’s most wanted “fugitive.”

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Zimbabwe Republic Police say Richard Gwesela, a former guerrilla fighter, was a gang leader who terrorized the people of two provinces for four years.

Gwesela was alleged to have murdered 20 people in the Midlands and neighbouring Matabeleland provinces. He also was said to have raped women and robbed villagers.

In silence, onlookers walked past his body sprawled beneath a wanted poster offering $30,000 for him, dead or alive.

The state media said Gwesela was the country’s most wanted man, and was killed in a gunbattle with Zimbabwean security forces near Gweru “on Sunday,” earlier.

His death was reported for the first time three days later, on the Wednesday. There were no independent investigations to confirm the state media report.

His mother and an uncle identified the corpse as Gwesela, and police fingerprints confirmed the identity, according to the state media report.

″Gwesela had killed more than 20 people since he started operating in the area,″ Enos Nkala, home affairs minister in charge of police, told reporters. ″Now he is going to join them, whether in heaven or hell, we don’t know,” he said.

NEW TWIST.

33 years later, some Mthwakazi activists have begun claiming ZIFA’s Gwesela was rewarded the sports job for a sterling role the supposed father played as an insider who staged for Emmerson Mnangagwa during Gukurahundi in order to kill civilians, pursuing Emmerson Mnangagwa’s terror operation to kill people under the guise of flushing out dissidents.

One activist makes the above chilling allegations (pic).

Responding however, ZIFA’s Mr Xolisani Gwesa told ZimEye, the so called Gwesela was not even a real Gwesela.

He said: “This writer is waffling. I am shocked by these ghastly falsehoods.

“I am the son of the late Chief Gwesela whose real name was Cornelius Nobody Gwesela Ndebele who died in 1996.He was never a dissident. The so called “dissident Gwesela” was never a Gwesela and his real name was Zedious Mangena.

“I am holder of a Masters Degree in Media and Society studies, Post grad Diploma in Media , Bsc Honours degree , Diploma in Management and Diploma in Sport Management.

“I have over 15 years experience in media management and sport management and events coordination. I joined Zifa purely on merit.

“The Gweselas are also from Zhombe and not Lower Gweru. The Gweselas are also from Zhombe and not Lower Gweru.”

ZIMBABWE, THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING CROP ECONOMY SUDDENLY CRASHED FOLLOWING MNANGAGWA’S PRONOUNCEMENTS

Rhodesia, was once the worst hit African economy by both United Nations sanctions and a debilitating 14 year running civil war from within, and yet by 1976, it had been hailed as the world’s fastest growing crop economy. So what really went wrong? Soon after 1980, it was handed over to Robert Mugabe and his state security minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who less than 3 years later launched a military crackdown against civilians who he personally described as cockroaches who must be wiped out using DDT. That operation destroyed the economy in ways exactly similar to the recent 1 Aug 2018 military crackdown (which the Finance Ministry has told The Motlanthe Commission has cost the nation USD16 billion.) Zimbabwe’s economy began crumbling following Mnangagwa’s words on the 4th April 1983:

“Blessed are they who will follow the path of the Government laws, for their days on earth will be increased. But woe unto those who will choose the path of collaboration with dissidents for we will certainly shorten their stay on earth.”

As Minister of State Security, Mnangagwa was in charge of the brutal massacre of more than 22 000 Ndebele. He labeled dissidents ‘cockroaches’ and the killers of the Fifth Brigade army unit as ‘DDT,’ an insecticide.

Economy data shows how the country’s GDP crashed down following the operation, and effects were immediately felt from 1983 all the way to 1985.

Fast forward to the period 2004 – 2018 more evidence shows the correlation between economic performance and the rule of law, specifically human rights adherence.

A UK based academic investigates human rights violations and economic decline. In the graphs below revealed by ZimEye.com, it is displayed that for instance in the 14 years since 2004, investor interest has either risen or declined in a direct consequential correlation with Human Rights.   Dr Admore Tshuma from Kent University was asked by SABC: What were you aiming to achieve?, and he answered as follows: “the study is a socio-economic perspective. The study explores how the future in South Africa may unfold if expropriation of land without compensation goes ahead. “The aim is not to take a side in this argument, but to unpack the perspective, of human rights and economic paradigms. This is the first time that such a question has been examined by social science using an objectively collected data. The main aim is not to diminish claims for redistribution of land, but to highlight the detriment of the expropriation of land without compensation. “In this study I am very mindful of the sensitivity of the issue of land and I am also aware that there is little consensus of what benefit expropriation of land will produce for South Africa.

“Hence the basic aim is to suggest an alternative and progressive policy on what could constitute an economically sensible cause of action if South Africa is to pursue.

“In this case Zimbabwe remains an empirical case study, for such a social policy, a public policy. The primary focus in this study is to illustrate the interaction between human rights and the economy, also to highlight the model of retributive Justice in response to growing calls for the land question in South Africa as what happened in Zimbabwe.

“And some of my objectives basically are to raise awareness of the potential long term social economic harm that may result in the expropriation of land, it is also to show the interaction, the inter-twinement … the globalisation of the world, how world nation states have become smaller: how the international law has become supreme…part of what I am looking into, and basically the project in the end, it demonstrates the growing recognition that deep-rooted problems of Human Rights violation… are most likely to affect the economy, it is a very broad subject…”

– AP/ZimEye

THE number of people who have tested positive to Covid-19 in Zimbabwe has risen to 28 after three more confirmed cases were reported in Harare.

In an update last night, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the total number of reported deaths remained at three while there have been two recoveries.

Harare Metropolitan Province now has the highest number of confirmed cases at 13 followed by Bulawayo Metropolitan Province with 10 cases. Mashonaland East has four confirmed cases, while Matabeleland North has one case. The rest of the provinces are yet to record Covid-19 positive cases.

The ministry said 841 tests were done yesterday, giving a total of 4 159 diagnostic tests done to date. Results for 65 samples were still pending.

“The ministry continues to be on high alert to the Covid-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against Covid-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing,” said the ministry.-State media

Everyone remembers the powerful world leaders who derided the coronavirus threat or even denied its existence in its early stages. U.S. President Donald Trump said the virus would disappear “like a miracle.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson boasted cheerfully about shaking hands with “everybody” at a hospital, including COVID-19 patients. Chinese officials arrested or muzzled doctors who tried to warn of the danger.

But what about other leaders around the world? Some have performed admirably under pressure – educating their citizens, advocating good health measures, taking brave action to protect lives.

Others were, er … less helpful.

Who were the deniers, the minimizers, the blithe mockers, the confident believers, the vodka promoters, the unconcerned and the uninterested?

The Globe and Mail looks at some of the most dubious responses to the pandemic, and Emmerson Mnangagwa is one of the notorious none.

Here is what they said about Mnangagwa:

In mid-March, as the pandemic grew, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa took action: he announced a series of measures, including an immediate ban on gatherings of more than 100 people.

A day later, he held a political rally and gave a speech to several hundred people at a school in northeastern Zimbabwe, blatantly violating his own decree. When asked about it, he claimed his ban on large gatherings didn’t take effect for two days, even though his own government had made it clear that the decree was effective immediately.

Mr. Mnangagwa, a former vice-president who replaced the long-ruling Robert Mugabe after a military coup in 2017, has shown little interest in improving Zimbabwe’s decrepit health care system to deal with the pandemic.

Its first victim was a well-known broadcaster, Zororo Makamba, who died in a Harare hospital that had been designated as the main isolation facility for the coronavirus – but lacked any ventilators to treat patients. His brother said the government was unprepared for the virus.

As of April 15, just 716 coronavirus tests had been conducted in Zimbabwe, a country of 15 million people. In one case, a test was delayed for so long (reportedly because of transport problems) that the patient died three days before the positive results came back.

But police and soldiers in the authoritarian state have been enthusiastically enforcing the national lockdown. In one raid, police confiscated and destroyed several tons of fresh fruit and vegetables by setting fire to them – because the vendors had broken travel restrictions. In a country plagued by malnutrition and hunger, it was a shockingly irrational response.

The late Ambuya Nguni, mother to former Cabinet Minister Mr Sylvester Nguni, was buried this afternoon after becoming the fourth person in the country to die of Covid-19.

Ambuya Nguni died at West End Hospital in Harare last night aged 82. She was buried in line with standard operating procedures for Covid-19 victims.

Burial was scheduled for the family’s rural home in Mhondoro, Mubaira area.

Meanwhile, West End Hospital has stopped all admissions with immediate effect until further notice. Patients currently in admission are using upper floors.

The casualty area has since been disinfected and contact tracing, including health workers who were assisting the patient, has since begun.

Zimbabwe has recorded its first positive Covid-19 death from the rural areas sparking fears that the virus has spread beyond towns to rural areas with run down health facilities. 

The patient died at a private hospital in Harare bringing the country’s total deaths to four.

The death, sources have said, was not part of the Ministry of Health positive statistics also raising fears that there could be more undetected positive cases in both urban and rural areas.

Health and Child care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo told state media that contact tracing began on Tuesday night following the death of the patient.

“We are still trying to trace the source of infection for this case, so far we only know that the case came from Mhondoro,” he said.

Zimbabwe extended its 21-day Covid-19 national lockdown with an additional 14 days with the government saying it has not met the standards set by the World Health Organisation to end the lockdown.

ZIMBABWEANS accompanying bodies of dead relatives from outside the country now face 21-days compulsory quarantine before they can proceed to bury their loved ones.

This came out in a government memo directed to funeral parlours Tuesday.

The memo in part read as follows:

“All bodies being repatriated to Zimbabwe for burial will be treated as contagious except in cases where the cause of death is by road accident, murder or other body injuries,” read the statement.

“Consequently, all such mortal remains will require clearance by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe using the usual clearance channels.

“Relatives accompanying the remains will now be subjected to mandatory quarantine at the designated points before proceeding to the funeral.

“The same applies in cases where the body is transiting through Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe’s Consul-General to South Africa, Mr Melody Chaurura said they had since communicated the new set of regulations to the funeral parlours.

“We have advised the funeral parlours on the new order after getting correspondence from the Ministry of Health and Child Care at home,” she said.

“Under the new order, all bodies being brought repatriated o Zimbabwe for burial will be treated as contagious except in cases where the cause of death is a road accident, murder or other body injuries.

“In addition, all remains now require the clearance of the Ministry of Health and Child Care prior to their transportation to Zimbabwe under the usual procedures.

“Relatives accompanying the remains are now being subjected to under mandatory quarantine at any port of entry upon arrival in the country before proceeding to the various destinations”.

Beitbridge Border Post is unlikely to be opened to the public anytime soon after South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the employment of an additional 73 180 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist the SA Police Service (SAPS) in enforcing an extended lockdown.

Ramaphosa specified that the duties of the additional officers would include among other things maintaining law and order through supporting other state departments as well as securing the country’s borders in order to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in all nine provinces.

“Covid-19 infections cases continue to increase in the country … as a result, I have decided to employ an additional 73180 members of the SANDF consisting of the regular force, reserve force and auxiliary force,” reads Ramaphosa’s letter.

Judging by the tone of the letter, the Beitbridge Border Post might only open by the end of June, considering that the employment of the additional forces is for the period April 2 to June 26.

This is a significant addition to the initial 2820 SANDF members that were dispersed on March 25 across the country to assist police officers in ensuring that citizens adhered to the lockdown measures.

The authorisation of the additional officers by the president was made public on Twitter by DA leader John Steenhuisen who shared a letter by Ramaphosa to the co-chairperson of the joint standing committee on defence, Cyril Xaba.

A top government official has spoken about the possibility of opening the schools later in the year.

According to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services Nick Mangwana, there is a possibility that the schools might open in August and go all the way to end of December.

Mangwana was speaking during a webinar media training which was organised by UNDP, Higherlife Foundation, in partnership with the ministry of information.

Mangwana said:

We still need to bring people to classes and whatever number of days that have been lost in the current school calendar would have to be covered. It may mean that we are going to open schools in around maybe August and go all the way to Christmas with no breaking between. I am not saying this is what we are going to do but we are still talking so that we ensure learners recover. The school calendar is one of the most affected in our country because of the lockdown and because of the virus. The ministry of primary and secondary education is looking working ensuring that those who can do things online right now can continue learning.

Zimbabwe schools closed on 24 March 2020 after a directive by the president as part of the measures to reduce the spread of covid-19. Zimbabwe currently has 28 cases of covid-19, 4 deaths and two recoveries.

The government moved swiftly to put the country under lockdown and the measures have successfully reduced the number of infections. The government is working to improve the availability of protective clothing and medicine.

Savannah

By A Correspondent- The Johanne Masowe eChishanu apostolic sect has dismissed an audio clip circulating on social media purporting that its church members were forced to drink beer by members of the Zimbabwe National Army during an all-night prayer session in Dzivaresekwa during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The apostolic sect’s leader, Madzibaba Israel Muhana, said their church members respected and complied with the Government directive to stop mass gatherings to avoid the spread of the pandemic.

“We heard about the audio circulating on the social media claiming that our members were forced to drink alcohol during a night prayer session,” he said. “We have informed our members that they should stay at home until the end of the lockdown.

“There is nothing like that. We do not have members who are conducting prayer sessions at night. No one was forced to drink beer. Our members are conducting prayer sessions at their homes.”

Madzibaba Muhana said the audio clip was created by some people who wanted to tarnish the image of the church.

“We have urged our church members to stay at home and to comply with Government’s directive,” he said. “Coronavirus is a disease which knows no boundaries, so everyone must heed Government directives.

“As I speak, I am observing social distancing as required by the World Health Organisation.”

Madzibaba Muhana said they were yet to receive complaints from their church members on the alleged harassment by the uniformed forces, so they could not base comments on the audio.

Most churches have complied with the Government’s directive to suspend mass gatherings as part of measures to control and prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

Government on Sunday extended the Covid-19 national lockdown to May 3 as part of the response to the rising number of cases in the country.

Zimbabwe has so far recorded 25 confirmed Covid-19 cases, three of which resulted in death. -Statemedia

By Farai D Hove | Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana who claimed hotels are unwilling to take in returnees, was left tight lipped Wednesday when several hotels announced the very opposite.

The development was exclusively covered by ZimEye.com since Monday as this network exposed the abuse of 35 UK returnees who were trapped at Belvedere Teachers College without any running water and proper ablution facilities.

The latest drama comes as Chinese visitors are being unleashed onto the community by government and granted self quarantine treatment luxuries, while Zimbabweans are confined to waterless-toilet dungeons the likes of Belvedere Teachers College.

Mangwana, misinformed the nation and lied that the returnees were demanding hotel quarantine when in actual fact all they had asked for was running water and functioning ablution facilities.

Last night Mangwana announced saying, “the cruise ship employer of fellow Zimbabweans housed at Belvedere has now offered to meet hotel bills for them.

“Hotels not keen, citing the risk of a ”Covid Hotel” label. We are expecting about 50 more cruise ship returnees.”

But the state media reports how several hotels have done the opposite, to take in the same victims.

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We publish below reactions to Mangwana’s twitter post updating the nation on Prof Mavhima’s visit at Belvedere Teachers College where he claimed that there was running water. He has however since earned himself the nickname “Mr Fake News” for lying about the obtaining situation at the quarantine centre…..

By David Hofisi| Like several countries, Zimbabwe is in a state of lockdown. In response to the Covid 19 pandemic, the Minister of Health promulgated a series of statutory instruments to prevent further infections. Individuals are confined to their homes by law except in such circumstances as grocery shopping and purchase of drugs. It is only the forms of work which are deemed essential services which are to continue until 3 May 2020. The statutory instruments also provide for compulsory testing and allows members of the military to assist the police in enforcement.

These measures are laudable to the extent that they combat a highly infectious global pandemic.

However, this noble intention does little to mask patent constitutional invalidity. The 2013 Constitution contains an expansive declaration of rights. These rights are heavily implicated by the national lockdown.

The prohibition of gatherings suspends the rights to freedom of association, assembly, expression and the right to demonstrate and petition. Confinement in the home derogates from freedom of movement whilst limiting access to work is obviously against the section 64 right to ‘carry on any profession, trade or occupation.’

These rights are not absolute. The Constitution allows the limitation of most rights in the public interest including for public health reasons. Such limitation would qualify as reasonably justifiable if enacted through a law of general application.

The Constitution distinguishes laws passed by Parliament from statutory instruments from the executive branch. The statutory instruments establishing the national lockdown would be sufficient to limit rights were it not for section 134 (b) of the Constitution; statutory instruments must not infringe or limit any of the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration of Rights;

It is abundantly clear that the Constitution does not allow a statutory instrument to limit a constitutional right. This is left to Acts of Parliament.

In other words, it is only when the people’s elected representatives pass a law, and it is signed by the President, that a right can be limited. It is a coordinate branch responsibility. Limitation of rights upon the stroke of a Minister or the President’s pen is no longer constitutionally permissible.

These checks and balances are meant to preserve popular democratic participation. Parliament is central to any limitation of rights because of its representative role. It ensures that the people remain engaged in the constitutional conversation.

The procedure for passage of a bill, which includes public hearings, reduces the distance between the people and their own governance. It ensures a balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches to governance. Thus, the Government of Zimbabwe should have called an emergency session of Parliament to consider bills necessitated by the pandemic.

This process would have allowed members of Parliament to bring the plight of their constituents to bare and have this reflected in subsequent legislation. In the United States, this was the process by which Congress incorporated a version of universal basic income for all Americans. The failure to incorporate such concerns has led to stiff resistance and a court order against the lockdown in Malawi. 

This is the reason why the Constitution contemplates a state of public emergency for such circumstances. It defines the extent to which rights can be limited by emergency laws and subjects such declaration to approval by Parliament (if it does not fall away within fourteen days or twenty one if Parliament is not in session).

It does not contemplate unilateral action out of the executive branch. However, this is what the government of Zimbabwe opted for in making a declaration of a national disaster. Such declarations empower the executive to issue statutory instruments.

The Civil Protection Act, which provides for national disasters, predates the current constitution. Even though Ministers can still promulgate statutory instruments, the Constitution no longer permits such when they limit fundamental freedoms.

This renders the entire scheme for the national lockdown unconstitutional. This should not be blamed on non-alignment of laws with the Constitution. Rather, it should be understood in the context of institutional choices by a Machiavellian executive. It is not an innocent mistake by a well-meaning administration.

These are powerful functionaries circumventing constitutional imperatives to increase the scope and scale of executive power. Not only do the statutory instruments infringe fundamental freedoms, they create new powers, such as those allowing the Minister of Home Affairs to close ports of entry and exit as he/she deems fit. Yet there remain no answers to the crucial questions of whether the state will pay for the Covid 19 tests, who will provide for workers who are laid off and social safety for the informal sector.

These crucially important provisions should be contained in a comprehensive parliamentary bill which incorporates the views of all critical stakeholders. Statutory instruments will not suffice. Times of crises present uncertainty, which makes many yearn for decisive action, even if it be authoritarian.

This heightens the need to be wary of high level power grabs and constitutional misfeasance, more so when subsidiary legislation is used to justify yet another deployment of the notorious Zimbabwean military onto the civilian population.

Farai Dziva|MDC president Nelson Chamisa has denounced the politicisation of Coronavirus aid by government officials.

On Wednesday Chamisa said the politicisation on aid was unfortunate.

“Zimbabwe needs a multi-phased broad range of measures to mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic on communities, individuals and businesses.

These include tax relief, support to vulnerable households and business and job protection.

Govt must stop politicizing or weaponizing this relief,” tweeted Chamisa.

A group of Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa want to be repatriated. They say they are battling to make ends meet during the lockdown, and their resources have since run out.

“The last decent meal I had was a month ago … I don’t know how I will pay my [R250] rent this month,” says Munyaradzi, who asked for his surname to be withheld.

Munyaradzi is one of a group of Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa who want to be repatriated. They say making ends meet became even harder since the lockdown began, leaving most of them who were informal traders without an income.

“It’s better to go back home and start my life afresh. The lockdown came at a time when I did not have any savings. My sister has stopped assisting me because her money has also finished,” says Munyaradzi who lives alone in Wells Estate. Before the lockdown, he relied on odd jobs as a painter.

“I need assistance from the Zimbabwe Embassy to be repatriated back home,” he says.

Nancy Mukaro from Motherwell lives in a two-room home with her two children. They too have asked to be sent back to Zimbabwe because Mukaro has not been able to work in weeks.

Mukaro came to South Africa four years ago to live with her husband who works at a citrus processing factory in Kirkwood. The couple have since separated, leaving Mukaro to raise the children alone.

“I have never worked for one employer for long periods of time whom I could have turned to for assistance. I want to go back home because I can’t afford paying school fees when things are this tough. I also have to pay rent at the end of the month,” she says.

Mukaro says the decision to return to Zimbabwe was not easy. “There are no jobs in Zimbabwe and the economic and political situation is bad. I am between a rock and a hard place,” she says.

In a statement earlier this month, the Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria outlined some of the conditions for those applying for voluntary repatriation: “The Embassy wishes to advise members of the community that the government of South Africa allows for the voluntary, orderly repatriation of foreign nationals to their countries of origin during the lockdown period.”

Zimbabwean Consul General Melody Chaurura told GroundUp that they were compiling a list of people willing to be repatriated. She refused to say how many people had already applied.

“We also urge our members to practice the spirit of ubuntu by spreading this offer to other members who may want to go home on voluntary repatriation. We encourage members with access to the internet and Facebook to help others,” said Chaurura.

Those returning to Zimbabwe were warned to prepare for compulsory quarantine for three weeks.online

Farai Dziva|The leader of Nyenyedzi Nomwe Apostolic Church, Madzibaba Enoch has implored Vapositori to abide by the lockdown restrictions.

On Sunday Emmerson Mnangagwa extended the lockdown by 14 days.

Madzibaba Enoch, of Budiriro 4, Harare, in a statement on Monday, urged members of the apostolic sect to take note of the lockdown extension. He leads more than 300 shrines in Zimbabwe, according to his followers.

“I would like to urge all leaders of apostolic sects and their members in the country to take note of the lockdown extension.

As President Mnangagwa announced on Sunday, the lockdown will end on May 3.

As such all leaders and members of apostolic sects are expected to abide by the restrictions.

Coronavirus is real and let us respect the authorities.

We will also try our best to support health workers in the fight against the pandemic,” said Madzibaba Enoch in a statement.

Madzibaba Enoch is also said to have predicted the coming of the deadly Coronavirus scourge in a 2018 video footage.

Government has banned price hikes during lockdown,ordering goods and service providers to revert to 25 March pricing, ZimEye can report.

This was said by Vice President Kembo Mohadi while addressing journalists in Harare.

More to follow…

As the People’s party, MDC Alliance strongly condemns the wrongful and unlawful arrest and detention of Honourable Regai Tsunga and 12 others for ostensibly contravening Section 11(1)of the Public Health Act SI 83/2020 unnecessary movement during lockdown.

To start with there is no such penalty section as cited and the disruption and harassment of the Honourable Member of Parliament for Mutasa South and Councillor Farai Bhiza of Ward 11 as well as 11 other people was as unwarranted as it was unlawful.

Regrettably, due to the heavy handed nature and belligerent behavior of the Police they paid admission of guilt fines under protest in order to avoid the risk of contracting the Corona virus in the police cells as the police refused to accept that no offence had been committed.

Apart from the failure to appreciate that the offence and penalty under Section 11(a)and (b) of Statutory Instrument arise from either hindering or obstructing the police or failing to refuse to comply with a request or direction given by the police no attempt was made to engage the people who were driven by hunger and the State’s failure to make arrangements for the delivery of the basic staple food of maize meal to the ward.

It is necessary for the police to understand the import of the legislation and regulations they seek to enforce instead of being trigger happy and arrest innocent people who will not have committed any offence.

Hundreds of people have been harassed under similar circumstances and as the People’s party, the MDC Alliance is demanding for a FULL STOP to this madness.

Indeed as the MDC Alliance, we have pointed out before that while the lockdown is necessary to curb the spread of the pandemic what the state has dismally failed to do is to provide the safety nets for the people of Zimbabwe the majority of whom were already living from hand to mouth.

The situation was compounded and exacerbated by the ambush on Sunday afternoon when a caring government would have made a timeous announcement of the extension of the lockdown.

As the MDC Alliance, we reiterate that the right to food and water is enshrined in Section 77 of our national Constitution and it is imperative that the government ensures that this right is realized.

Further other crucial human rights like the right to Life, Human Dignity and Not to be Tortured or subjected to Inhuman Degrading Treatment or Punishment can not suspended under any circumstances.

We therefore demand that the State should deliver on the promises it made at the commencement of the lockdown and to implement the High Court orders made by the High Court last week in terms of which the police and other law enforcement agencies are required to observe people’s Rights in enforcing the COVID-19 Regulations.

Further, as the MDC Alliance we are also concerned that Lovemore Zvokusekwa who was arrested on Saturday and appeared in Court on Monday on charges of may be deprived of his right to a fair trial.

We say so because the complainant appears to have already taken the role of both the Prosecutor and Adjudicator by making a pronouncement that an example should be made of the Accused by imposing the maximum penalty of 20 years.

We believe in the doctrine of Separation of Powers and undue pressure should not be exerted on the courts to convict and the doctrine of the presumption of innocence is the cornerstone of our judicial system.

Innocent Gonese
Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs
MDC Alliance

By A Correspondent- A government official has revealed that government will soon conduct research on citizens’ knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19.

Deputy Health Director resposible for Communications in the Health Ministry Paul Chinakidzwa told journalists that plans were underway to conduct the study in the few coming weeks egarding the knowledge and attitudes of citizens regarding the disease.

He said :

“Public health students at various universities are conducting various researches. Research is also being conducted at various hospitals. But as government, very soon we are going to conduct a knowledge and attitudes investigations study regarding the disease. However, in hospitals there are also studies taking place.”

Illegal forex dealers are beginning to trickle back into central Harare, despite roadblocks designed to check on motorists and on passengers in Zupco buses, with both groups required to prove they are in essential services.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi recently warned the illegal money changers saying police would descend on them.

“Police urge members of the public to receive their money from authorised dealers and then go to the shops, which have been authorised to transact in both local and foreign currency, to buy basic commodities or access medication from pharmacies,” he said.

“There is no need, therefore, for people to engage illegal foreign currency dealers while in the process exposing themselves to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ZRP will arrest all illegal foreign currency dealers who are committing such criminal acts, while at the same time disregarding the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown measures.”

Investigations by The Herald revealed that the illegal dealers target people who collect their forex from Mukuru and World Remit after these services were restored three days a ago to help Zimbabweans reliant on transfers from the Diaspora.

One of the money changers, who spoke to The Herald crew posing as potential clients, revealed how they evade the police on their way into the city centre.

“My friend, it is not easy to be operating from the city centre, but it is harder to do business at home so we are left with no choice but to sneak our way into the CBD and evade the security check points since we do not have passes or letters, which state that we offer essential services,” he said.

“At times we leave our vehicles outside the city centre and complete the journey into the CBD on foot. It is actually safer that way, as we have to make sure that the security services, particularly soldiers, do not see us since these do not compromise at all.”

His colleague added that they only came into the city centre during the week as more people would be receiving their remittances  from either Mukuru or World Remit.

“Those are our customers and we offer them a good rate,” he said. “Some of them are our regulars now so as soon as they withdraw their forex, they come to us.

“We have to be in the city centre to make good profits. There is competition in the suburbs and we are at an advantage if we do our business in the CBD.”

One of the people who had just received her foreign currency from Mukuru along Sam Nujoma Street confirmed that she regularly does business with illegal money changers.

“I always go to money changers to convert my foreign currency into local currency and will do the same today,” she said.

The Herald visited Copacabana bus terminus where some illegal money changers were conducting business, but discreetly.

The Herald approached one of them pretending to be seeking local currency from US$10.

“If you want to change US$10, I will have to transfer $410 into your EcoCash wallet and if you need cash then you will get $350,” said the money changer.

-State House

By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwean male working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is currently in isolation at Karoi District Hospital after exhibitng Covid-19 symptoms on his way to Harare from the DRC.

Mashonaland West provincial medical director, Dr Wancesluss Nyamayaro yesterday said the patient was admitted at the hospital on Sunday night enroute to Harare from the DRC.

He said tests were done on the suspected patient and are now awaiting CPR confirmatory results from the Microbiological Laboratory in Harare.

Dr Charles Mupfururirwa, who was standing in for Hurungwe district medical officer, Dr Frankston Masiye, said the patient exhibited Covid-19 symptoms which were accompanied by fever and high temperatures.

“The patient is currently admitted at the hospital as we wait for CPR confirmatory test, but his temperature is varying daily,” he said. “We can only conclude that the patient is Covid-19 positive after tests.”

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland West province Mary Mliswa who also chairs the provincial task force team on Covid-19, underscored the need for people to exhibit high levels of adherence to the lockdown regulations as they were in place to curtail the spread of the disease.

“People should not panic now that there is suspected case of COVID-19 but rather they should continue to adhere to the lockdown regulations,” she said.

She outlined the need for the Karoi hospital to improve on its levels of hygiene.-Statemedia

One more person has died of Covid 19 at a private hospital in Harare bringing the country’s total deaths to four.

Confirming the death on the sidelines of a WHO donation of PPE and a PCR machine in Harare today, Health and Child care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said contact tracing began last night following the demise of this case.

He said authorities were also working flat out to trace the source of infection.

“We are still trying to trace the source of infection for this case, so far we only know that the case came from Mhondoro,” said Minister Moyo.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- One more person has died of Covid 19 at a private hospital in Harare bringing the country’s total deaths to four.

Confirming the death on the sidelines of a WHO donation of PPE and a PCR machine in Harare today, Health and Child care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said contact tracing began last night following the demise of this case.

He said authorities were also working flat out to trace the source of infection.

“We are still trying to trace the source of infection for this case, so far we only know that the case came from Mhondoro,” said Minister Moyo.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwean government is since January to date unleashing Chinese visitors into the community- granting the Asian country’s citizens luxury self quarantine treatment, while on the other hand imposing dirty waterless toilet facilities for returning black Zimbabweans.

The government spokesman Nick Mangwana on Monday claimed that there are 65 Zimbabweans who flew from the UK and now due for mandatory quarantining, who are demanding hotel Quarantine facilities, an allegation which has turned out to be untrue. The government is on video announcing official policy that Chinese visitors are not subjected to mandatory quarantining. Health minister Obadiah Moyo said, “we want to make sure that the arrangements that we have put in place with the Chinese Embassy here in Zimbabwe is maintained.

“They have been extremely good to us.

“They have come forward with solutions and one solution which they came with was that of ensuring that if anybody happens to come form China and arrives at one of our airports they will have to subject themselves to 14 to 21 day self quarantine, which is good.

“We did not tell them that, but they are the ones that came to us and said that is the way we want to go.”

(Watch below)

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Via inbox
Belvedere Teachers College
Harare, Zimbabwe

April 20, 2020

Dear Zimbabwe

Re: Government is Lying: We didn’t demand hotel housing; we demanded basic amenities

As a matter of fact, and for the avoidance of doubt, I’m one of the returning residents who came via an Ethiopian airline yesterday (Monday).

I don’t want to belabor you with a long read. I will therefore go straight to the point.

Yesterday, the permanent secretary in the ministry of information Nick Mangwana tweeted that we — overseas returnees — were demanding hotels. No, this is an outright lie! We did not demand hotel accommodation.

In fact, I was shocked when I read the tweet which many Zimbabweans believed, including those who purport to be frontline human rights defenders. And the Fourth Estate too was hoodwinked.

Here is the other side of the coin. Just like any other Zimbabwean citizen with rights including access to shelter, water and health amongst other basic amenities, we demanded to be housed at a decent facility.

Decent in as far as basic health as defined by health bodies in the wake of the coronavirus is concerned. By basic facilities we meant at least a room with a bed and blankets; toilets with running water and clean bathrooms.

Belvedere, a facility which government authorities provided doesn’t have all those. And government spin doctors led by Mangwana want all Zimbabweans and the rest of the world to laud government for a job well done when in fact what they are doing is exposing returning residents to COVID-19, a pandemic government is claiming to be working to halt.

That hundreds of desperate college students live in shanty facilities such as Belvedere with no complaints doesn’t make it a habitable place.

That other citizens returning via Plumtree and Beitbridge ports of entry have agreed to be housed in dirty, stinky and cholera-infested facilities doesn’t make it right either and doesn’t indicate at all that the government of Zimbabweans cares about its citizens.

If this treatment of citizens by Zimbabwean authorities has anything to show, it is that authorities who have presided over poor infrastructure including hospitals does not care at all about protecting its citizens from COVID-19.

While we understand that this is an abnormal situation, a period of crisis, no right thinking Zimbabwean should commend government for treating its returning citizens like animals.

When we arrived at Belvedere we thought authorities had already assessed the place and certified it as habitable. Although we did not expect anything flashy given the fact that this is a temporary quarantine facility in an emergency situation, we didn’t expect that we will be thrown in a place which doesn’t have basic amenities such as running water.

To make matters worse, government authorities who came to address us regarding our concerns were arrogant.

A case in point is when a senior official in the ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare threatened to unleash police on us, to force us to occupy an inhabitable accommodation.

“If you don’t comply we will ask police to enforce our commands,” the permanent secretary in the Social Welfare ministry who should otherwise know better about the government’s obligations about taking care of the vulnerable, us included, told us.

He added: “You can’t choose where to stay, we chose for you.”

This was after we had requested to be either quarantined at our homes or housed at a decent facility. Alternatively we requested the government authorities to open one of the hotels so that we pay living costs on our own while government provides food.

We also made it clear to the government authorities that we’re willing to be quarantined like other returning citizens but only if bare minimum conditions are met.

To those who have made insulting returning residents, their full-time jobs during this ongoing crisis; please know that while we understand the importance of being isolated from the rest of the community now, the conditions that returning residents are subjected to will in fact propagate the spread of COVID-19. While most of us are from Coronavirus hotspots, we don’t necessarily have the disease, but because of our poor living conditions in quarantine we’re now at more risk of contracting the deadly disease more than other citizens yet government should protect everyone equally.

And while some of you are wailing, thinking returning home is the stupidest thing to do, remember that some of the returnees are students whose accommodation has been withdrawn by their universities in countries such as the U.K and the U.S.

And also remember that some of the returning residents are people who had just visited for shorter periods and therefore cannot live in those countries indefinitely. After all it’s better to die in Zimbabwe where your family can bury you albeit within 24 hours than to die elsewhere where your family will not be able to access your mortal remains.

And by the way, returning residents also have homes where they can actually self-quarantine and cater for basic services our government is failing to meet.

While most of us are willing to be quarantined, we also do not understand why authorities are imposing a 21 day isolation, instead of the WHO approved 14 days.

Why should a cash-strapped government seek to host returning citizens for 7 extra days at it’s expense when it can use those resources to cater for more vulnerable communities who are already bearing the brunt of the extended lockdown, with barely no food?

And while you naysayers are supporting government on outright violation of human rights in the name of fighting COVID-19, remember that the government that you’re enabling to abuse it’s returning citizens now will not stop at that.

Post COVID 19 this government will continue to violate citizen rights because you enabled it to do so during a crisis.

Last but not least, Mangwana, we appreciate your ardent job in timely informing the nation about COVID-19, especially using real time platforms such as twitter. But I just have one request: Please stop spinning public interest information.

It doesn’t help your government and citizens who should make informed decisions during this unprecedented time.

And to gullible Zimbabweans, please always take what government authorities say with a pinch of salt. 99.9 percent of what they say is false or half-true.

The worst you can get from government authorities is a single story narrative. Find the other narrative before you opine on issues of public interest.

Quick updates:

1. There is still no running water at Belvedere.
2. Contrary to reports, police did not guard Belvedere so that returnees don’t riot or at worst escape. As a matter of fact, three police officers came, engaged with returnees then left after an amicable discussion.
3. Nomatter what authorities say, we won’t stay where we risk catching more viral diseases in addition to coronavirus. We will fight for our rights until we’re relocated to a facility that meets basic conditions: running water, one-person room, functional ablution facilities, bedding and food.

For the purposes of signing off, let’s just say my name is Case #0

By A Correspondent- Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has denied social media claims that four of its employees have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The hospital’s public relations officer Linos Dhire said none of the hospital’s 98 staff members who were subjected to an immuno-chromatographic screening test tested positive for COVID-19. He said:

We have once again noted that there are some unscrupulous people circulating falsehood on social media claiming that four of our staff members including nurses tested positive for COVID-19.

To put the record straight, none of our staff members tested positive for the SARS-CoV 2 which causes COVID-19.

The facts of the matter are that 98 of our frontline staff members went through an immuno-chromatographic screening test.

Of the 98 who were screened using this particular tool, five required definitive testing method and were sent for rt-PCR which is a confirmatory test. We wish to announce that all the five members who were eventually tested using rt-PCR were confirmed negative for the COVID-19.

The statement followed a tweet by one Dr Chris Kandeya who said four employees including two nurses tested positive blaming the health ministry for not doing due diligence in contact tracing.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has 28 confirmed cases, three deaths and two recoveries from COVID-19.-HealthTimes

By A Correspondent- The government has gazetted Statutory Instrument 81 of 2020 which sets the national minimum wage at $2 549 74 for all employees except those in the agricultural and domestic sectors.

Labour Minister Paul Mavima said the directive comes into effect immediately, with those who are unable to pay the stipulated fees granted permission to apply for exemption with the relevant National Employment Councils.

Statutory Instrument 81 of 2020 reads in part:

THE MINIMUM WAGE OF $2 549 APPLIES TO ALL WORKERS OTHER THAN DOMESTIC AND AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES, FOR WHICH ALTERNATIVE PROVISION WILL BE MADE.

THE EXEMPTION SHALL TAKE IMMEDIATE EFFECT AS GRANTED BY THE NEC UNLESS AND UNTIL THE MINISTER ON GROUNDS OF PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTS TO IT, IN WHICH EVENT THE MINIMUM WAGE MUST BE PAID FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

THE NEW GAZETTED PRICES OF $2 500 TRANSLATE TO US$100 AT THE FIXED EXCHANGE RATE OF 1:25.