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Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
Black Market Rates:
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Own Correspondent| As coronavirus continues to take its toll on the world, ZimEye looks at the famous people who tested positive to the deadly disease. The list includes prominent people showbiz, political and sports personalities.
Maroune Fellaini
Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has confirmed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
In a post on Twitter, the 32-year-old, who is now at Chinese club Shandong Luneng said he hopes “to return to the game as soon as possible”.
Chinese media reports say Fellaini is in isolation at Jinan hospital, which specialises in infectious diseases.
The Belgium international moved to China in 2019 after 11 seasons in England with United and Everton.
Aurlus Mabele
Congolese music star Aurlus Mabélé has died in hospital in France’s capital Paris, aged 67.
Posts on social media from friends and relatives say he died of coronavirus but this is not confirmed.
His fans called him the king of soukous – a high-tempo Congolese dance music popular across Africa.
His daughter, French singer Liza Monet, tweeted on Thursday that her father had died of coronavirus. “I am inconsolable” she wrote.
US Senator Rand Paul
The United States’ Senator Rand Paul confirmed on Sunday that he has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) becoming the first U.S. Senator to do so.
Paul said that he had not exhibited any symptoms and had not been in contact with any known carriers of the novel coronavirus but was tested out of an “abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events”.
Paulo Dybala
Juventus and Argentina soccer forward Paulo Dybala has tested positive for coronavirus but has no symptoms, the Italian Serie A club said on Saturday, making him one of the most high-profile players to be infected so far.
“The player, in voluntary home isolation since March 11, will continue to be monitored,” the Turin club said in a statement. “He is well and asymptomatic.”
He is the third player at the club, one of the biggest in Europa and Italy’s most successful in domestic terms, to test positive after midfielder Blaise Matuidi, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, and defender Daniele Rugani.
Kevin Durant
The Basketball-turned-investor mogul announced he had Covid-19 on March 17.
Idris Elba
The actor best known for his roles in TV shows “The Wire”, “Luther” and for playing Nelson Mandela in Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, announced on Twitter that he tested positive for Covid-19. Though he bore no symptoms, he came into contact with someone who tested positive on Tuesday, and thus the actor sought the test, according to CNN.
By A Correspondent- Fadzayi Mahere, a prominent Zimbabwean lawyer and politician has revealed that the country’s health delivery system has run out of COVID 19 testing kits.
Mahere said the information she was sharing had been received from an unidentified doctor who commented on the coronavirus testing situation at one of the major referral hospitals in Harare.
From the conversation that Mahere shared, she alleged that the Harare Hospital is saying the kit to run Covid’19 tests cost around 2k USD.
“Additionally, if you open it you will have to discard it because they are not reusable which is very costly.
It is said that last time they could not test a pregnant woman who was admitted to the ward because they wanted to wait for other samples so as to reduce the cost.
It seems that in the meantime there are no adequate Coronavirus testing kits in hospitals and authorities have kept quiet about this.”
By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwe Government spokesman warned people against flocking to church Sunday in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, and even claimed that worshippers risked going to hell.
“A quick survey around town (in the capital Harare) shows a lot of religious activity above 100 people,” the government spokesman Nick Mangwana said on Twitter.
“LET’S BE RESPONSIBLE. ALL OF US WILL DIE. AND THEN GO TO HELL,” HE SAID.
The Zimbabwe government has banned gatherings of more than 100 people to ward off the spread of the new coronavirus and even declared state of national disaster even though it had no confirmed cases.
Zimbabwe, whose healthcare system has been eroded by two decades of economic decline, has so far recorded two cases of Covid-19.
Harare resident Joyce Ndlovu said her church had staggered masses so that none would exceed 100 faithful.
“Not going to church on Sunday is not an option,” she said. “So we have decided to not all go at the same time.”
Meanwhile around 40 cars were seen in the carpark outside a Methodist school frequented by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, an AFP correspondent said.
Mnangagwa last Tuesday declared the new coronavirus pandemic a “national disaster” as he banned gatherings of more than 100 people.
But the next day he held a political rally in the east of the southern African country attended by several hundred people.
Also, despite ordering his ministers not to travel abroad, a ban he said applied to himself, the president travelled to Windhoek for the inauguration of his Namibian counterpart Hage Geingob.
Angolan and Botswanan presidents Joao Lourenco and Mokgweetsi Masisi were also present at the event attended by several hundred people.
Botswanan civil servants have been ordered not to leave the country, while in Angola, Lourenco decreed the closure of land borders and banned commercial flights as well as gatherings of more than 50 people.-Online
By A Correspondent- Fear-struck Zimbabweans were recently caught on camera chasing a Chinese national outside a bus after suspecting that he had Coronavirus.
This comes after Zimbabwe recorded its first cases of COVID-19 which originated in Wuhan, China, and has infected over 338,092 and killed over 14,456 globally.
In the undated video that is making rounds on social media, passengers in a suspected cross border bus went beserk and barred a Chinese national from entering whilst accusing him of deliberately wanting to infect them with COVID-19.
Some of the passengers were heard shouting and accusing the Asian man of using road transport instead of air travel to evade COVID-19 screening at the airport. At the time of publishing the video, this publication had not yet established where the incident occurred.
By A Correspondent- The United States’ Senator Rand Paul confirmed on Sunday that he has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) becoming the first U.S. Senator to do so.
Paul said that he had not exhibited any symptoms and had not been in contact with any known carriers of the novel coronavirus but was tested out of an “abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events”.
Posting on Twitter, the Kentucky Republican said:
Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine.
The Senator’s office began operating remotely ten days ago, so it affirmed that “virtually no staff” had been in contact with him.
New York state on Friday had nearly 16,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, up from 5,100 while the United States has more than 33,000 confirmed cases, with more than 400 confirmed deaths, 117 of them in New York state.
Meanwhile, health experts have indicated that the coronavirus can remain viable and infectious in droplets in the air for hours and on surfaces up to days.-Studio7
By A Correspondent- As the coronavirus infects more people around the world, conservationists are warning of the risk to another vulnerable species: Africa’s endangered mountain gorilla.
Congo’s Virunga National Park, home to about a third of the world’s mountain gorillas, is barring visitors until June 1, citing “advice from scientific experts indicating that primates, including mountain gorillas, are likely susceptible to complications arising from the COVID-19 virus.”
Neighboring Rwanda also is temporarily shutting down tourism and research activities in three national parks that are home to primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees.
Mountain gorillas are prone to some respiratory illnesses that afflict humans. A common cold can kill a gorilla, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, one reason why tourists tracking gorillas are not normally permitted to get too close.
Around 1,000 mountain gorillas live in protected areas in Congo, Uganda and Rwanda, for whom tourism is an important source of revenue. But COVID-19 has led to restrictive measures.
Virunga National Park’s decision has been welcomed by conservationists in the region.
Paula Kahumbu, chief executive of the Kenya-based conservation group WildlifeDirect, told The Associated Press that “every possible effort must be made” to protect mountain gorillas because so few are left in the wild.
“We know that gorillas are very sensitive to human diseases,” she said. “If anyone has a cold or a flu they are not allowed to go and see the gorillas. With coronavirus having such a long time of no symptoms in some cases, it means that we could actually put those gorillas at risk.”
Even existing measures may not be enough to protect them.
According to Ugandan conservationist Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka with Conservation Through Public Health, a study published this year by her group and Ohio University showed that measures in place to protect gorillas from humans are not effective in practice.
The rule on keeping a safe distance from the gorillas was broken almost every time a group of tourists visited, she said.
“What the research found is that the 7-meter rule was broken almost all the time … like 98% of the time,” she said. “But what was interesting is that 60% of the time it was tourists that broke it and 40% of the time it was the gorillas who broke it.”
If close interaction cannot be prevented, she said, one measure that could potentially improve safety is requiring tourists to wear masks at all times.
Uganda has not announced a shutdown of gorilla tourism, although tourist traffic from Europe and elsewhere has dwindled.
A spokesman for the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Bashir Hangi, said the decision on whether to shut down gorilla tourism is now academic as there is almost no business amid the outbreak.
Still, he said, the few tourists who come are screened for fever and other symptoms and must obey rules such as not standing within 7 meters (21 feet) of a gorilla family. Visitors from virus-affected countries who have gone through quarantine in Uganda need to produce what he called a certificate of isolation before they are permitted to track the gorillas.
Amos Wekesa, whose Great Lakes Safaris organizes gorilla tours in Rwanda and Uganda, spoke mournfully of “hardly any business” as tourists postpone visits or seek refunds.
The region’s mountain gorilla population dropped sharply in the past century because of poaching, illness and human encroachment. Mountain gorillas have been listed as critically endangered or endangered since 1996, although their numbers are now said to be growing as a result of conservation efforts.
But there have been painful losses. Some gorillas die of natural causes, falling from trees or being killed in fights between males for territory or dominance. A lightning strike killed four mountain gorillas in February.
In Rwanda, where tourism is the top foreign exchange earner, the government has prioritized the protection of gorillas, even launching a naming ceremony for baby primates.
Tourism revenue is key in protecting mountain gorillas as authorities can use some of the money to help local communities or invest in anti-poaching activities. A gorilla tracking permit costs up to $600 in Uganda, and thousands of tourists pay each year. A similar permit costs upward of $1,000 in Rwanda.
Some worry the loss of tourist revenue during the coronavirus pandemic could further expose the primates to poachers. Virunga, established in 1925 as Africa’s first national park and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has long been vulnerable in a volatile part of eastern Congo.
“I think this is going to have a huge impact on their sustainability,” Kahumbu, the Kenyan conservationist, said of Virunga. “I call on all donors and governments that support these national parks in Africa to make it easy for the parks that need to shut down to do so and survive.”
Poachers could do even more damage to gorillas if they think the anti-poaching efforts have been reduced, she said.-AP
By A Correspondent- The Government has managed to track down seven out of 18 people who got into contact with one of the two people who tested positive to Covid-19.
Health officials were by yesterday still following up the 11.
The seven had samples taken and tested and four came out negative while results for the three people are yet to come out.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care last night said it was managing well the two who posted positive, with one being managed from home while another is still at Wilkins Hospital.
Both are being managed in isolation.
“The ministry would like to advise the nation that to date Zimbabwe has recorded two confirmed cases of Covid-19.
“Seven contacts of the second case have so far been identified and followed up and the remaining 11 are still being followed. Samples have been collected from the seven identified and so far, four results received have tested negative for Covid-19,’’ said the ministry in a statement.
The ministry said both patients are stable.
“The ministry will continue with intensified surveillance to detect any potential cases early and limit further spread.
“As we previously reported, the first case is showing signs of recovery and is being managed under self-isolation at home. The second case continues to be managed under isolation at Wilkins Hospital and is stable.”
As of yesterday, more than 270 000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 12 000 deaths have been reported from 161 countries, globally.
In Africa more than 1 000 cases have been confirmed. This includes cases from 10 Sadc countries — South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia, Seychelles, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Beitbridge Border Post has seen incoming travellers drop significantly daily as increasing numbers heed advice to avoid unnecessary trips.
Part of the decline is attributable to more people avoiding or postponing shopping trips and leisure travel.
On average, 14 000 people and 70 buses used to pass through Beitbridge daily in both directions and the number increases to a combined 38 000 travellers and 120 buses in both directions in peak times.
Though he could not give figures, the assistant regional immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube confirmed that the number of people being cleared, especially on the entry side, was on the decline.
“I cannot give you any statistics at the moment, but yes we have noted a decline especially on people coming into the country,” he said.
As a way of intensifying operations at the border, Government has moved the port health centre to a checkpoint near the New Limpopo and the Alfred Beit bridges to ensure no-one can evade routine screening.
Buses and vehicles are dropping off people at the screening point before proceeding to the main border arena.
The checkpoint is manned by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Army. Since the last fortnight border authorities made the screening of travellers coming into the country mandatory.
When travellers arrive at the border they first go to the port health point for screening and only when they are cleared there can they proceed to immigration formalities.
After being screened, if they have no signs of illness, they are given a tag to tender along with their passports at immigration.
In addition to that the travellers are required to sanitise their hands before handing over their passports to immigration officials, who have gloves and face masks and also sanitise their hands to reduce their risks.
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Mary Mubaiwa, has accused the retired army general of directing two leading banks to block her from accessing her accounts.
Through her lawyers, Mubaiwa has threatened to sue Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ) and FBC Bank for acting illegally by taking instructions from someone who is not a signatory on her accounts.
“The only conclusion that she has come to is that the decision not to process her transactions is synchronised and has been taken by the bank,” says a letter sent to Chiwenga’s lawyer, Wilson Manase, and the manager of CBZ’s Borrowdale branch, Mernard Moyo.
“We advise that your conduct is unlawful and should cease forthwith as there has been no form of due legal process to bar our client from transacting on the account,” say Mubaiwa’s lawyers.
The letter accuses Manase of instructing Moyo to provide him with statements relating to Mubaiwa’s accounts and those of companies, including Matfield Investments, of which the former model is a director.
“We are instructed that Mr Moyo duly complied with the unlawful instruction, in complete disregard of all banking ethics and procedures,” it says.
Mubaiwa claimed FBC Bank did not explain why she had been denied access to her account.
“Our client was surprised when FBC Bank denied her the right to withdraw money from her account and she was advised that the ‘bosses’ would get in touch with her, which they had not done at the time of the writing of the letter,” her lawyers write.
Both banks declined to comment, saying they could not discuss client matters.
In December, when their divorce proceedings began, Chiwenga sued Mubaiwa for US$245 428 that was allegedly in her FBC bank account.
The Vice-President claimed the money was his and had been paid into her account as proceeds from his hunting concessions.
Mubaiwa’s CBZ account is linked to alleged externalisation of close to US$2m between last April and October.
The money was used to buy property in Pretoria and two top-of-the-range Range Rovers registered in South Africa.
In December, Chiwenga initially wanted to take the houses and cars, even though the money used to buy them was the subject of a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigation he was accused of pushing for.
Chiwenga’s lawyers said Mubaiwa’s claims that the Vice-President had blocked access to her bank accounts were “rubbish” and “delusional”.
If anyone had directed the accounts to be frozen, they said, it could have been ZACC investigators.
“It is denied that Mr Manase ever visited the said bank for purposes mentioned or any other at all,” the lawyers’ reply said.
“While Moyo is known to him as an officer of the bank, no communication took place with regards to what your client alleges. If the investigators from ZACC did visit the bank, it is within their right and mandate.”
Last week, Mubaiwa told journalists she was preparing for a life “in and out of jail” because her husband, who led the coup against the late Robert Mugabe in November 2017, was a ruthless man.
She has lost an appeal for custody of their children.
Chiwenga and Mubaiwa have been wrangling since December, when the former army commander filed for divorce.
Mubaiwa was then arrested and charged with attempting to kill her former husband while he was in hospital in South Africa.
She was also charged with externalising foreign currency, money laundering and fraud.
She has denied the charges, saying they were fabricated and claiming Chiwenga invented the murder plot in a bid to force her hand in the divorce proceedings.-Zimbabwevoice
2 mental patients yesterday escaped from Parirenyatwa’s Annex Psychiatric Unit during the visiting hours and reportedly caused a commotion in the avenues area and in the CBD, DailyNews reports.
According to the publication: “Onlookers reported that the two were terrorising pedestrians with one of the patients controlling traffic at corner Chinamano Avenue and Third Street as the Annex officials launched a manhunt for the two escapees.”
The incident was confirmed by the hospital’s head of public relations, Linos Dhire, who said this to the publication: “It is true that two of our patients are reported to have escaped during the visiting hour today (yesterday).
The hospital is still searching for them so that they can be returned by the hospital ambulance. We have since informed their relatives and the police.”
– DailyNews
Dr Solwayo Ngwenya CITE|Mpilo Hospital Clinical Director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya speaks on the Coronavirus, its symptoms and how the people can prevent themselves from contracting the deadly virus.
Watch video, courtesy of CITE, downloading below:
Own Correspondent|The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa has increased by 34 on Sunday to a total of 274, health minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed.
A week into the declaration of a national state of disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s very existence as a nation is being put to the test.
“The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread at a relentless pace across the globe. As nations of the world we find ourselves in the same fight: to contain the virus, to protect the lives of our people, and to fortify our economies against the inevitable disruption to manufacturing, productivity, growth and employment,” Ramaphosa said.
He applauded South Africans for taking charge of their own health and those around them, saying it has been heartening.
Meanwhile. Ramaphosa will address the nation on the coronavirus pandemic on Monday following Sunday’s meeting of the National Command Council.
Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu said a meeting of the National Command Council was still ongoing late on Sunday.
The council was deliberating an update on the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak; progress and challenges related to implementation of the recently promulgated regulations on the state of disaster and other measures to protect the country, as well as economic impact.
The council also discussed whether the measures that are currently in place to contain the spread of the virus are sufficient and what further measures are required.
“There are very weighty matters before the National Command Council, amongst others the socio-economic impact on our people of this coronavirus and how to mitigate that impact. But also the impact of this virus on the poor, the vulnerable and workers… Its not an easy matter, Mthembu said.
Tendai Biti The regime’s lack of preparedness on #Covid_19 is criminally irresponsible. Despite its bravado, there are only 16 ventilators in the country with the country’s main hospital only having 4 in its ICU.
There are no ventilators at #Wilkins with its mere 50 beds. No-one is panicking.
The #Covid_19 patient at #Wilkins is in a severe state so Zim starts on a terrible footing. The Minister of Health (DJ Biscuit ) has failed to declare #Covid_19 a notifiable disease in terms of s17 of the Public Health Act Cap 15:09.
The Minister of Health has also failed to enact key regulations regarding formidable epidemic diseases as is required by s42 of the Public Health Act. Without these regulations, Emmerson’s announcement on #Covid_19 controls are a nullity. Emmerson’s word is not law as he seems to think.
Disaster is coming & #Covid_19 will kill thousands of our people unless the regime panics. Beitbridge is the biggest centre of vulnerability. Testing, equipment, Drs, expert care, hospital space, hygiene (sanitizers &baths) social distancing, drugs, travel restrictions all key.
Denver Ncube an Anatomist and a PhD Neuroscience candidate at the University of Oregon Institute of Neuroscience has said that individuals resident in Zimbabwe are more exposed to the novel coronavirus due to increased environmental exposures in the country. We post Ncube’s full Twitter thread below.
Environmental exposures that can exacerbate COVID-19 effects include pollution. With the frequent power outages and people resorting to using firewood and generators daily are our people safe? Has anyone cared to check on general lung health? Can our people afford to get checked?
The failure of Gvt to guarantee the most basic things for citizens puts many in mortal danger. This is the cost of power retention as a sole objective without leadership. Gangsters whose only mission is to brandish power without concern or sense of stewardship towards citizens.
We are truly alone, leaderless, abandoned by those who daily squeeze the life out of us. There is no proposition that makes such a callous, perfidious, insensitive, psychopathic and cruel bunch of individuals fit for purpose. We can’t change their hearts, they have to go.
An usher sanitises church members as they enter church in Bulawayo. State Media|Churches in Bulawayo have taken heed of President Mnangagwa’s directive to minimise gatherings to combat Covid-19 but some have misinterpreted the less than 100 people per gathering rule.
The Government recently declared the coronavirus a State of National Disaster and postponed major social events including the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), the 40th Independence Day celebrations, religious and public gatherings of more than 100 people for the next 60 days.
Some churches seem to believe they can safely gather as long as congregants number less than 100.
However, even three people who do not keep the recommended 2 metre social distance from each other can pass the virus to each other, if one of them is infected.
Some Pentecostal churches observed the less than 100 rule and social distance but congregants gathered outside churches after service to hug and greet each other, thereby increasing chances of getting infected.
A snap survey by Chronicle around the city yesterday revealed that some churches had split services to about two or three a day, each with 100 people or less.
In some instances, congregants had their hands sanitised when entering or exiting the church.
An apostolic sect near Luveve Road and Masiyepambili Drive that usually worships in an open space had occupied their usual spot in smaller numbers but the congregants also failed to observe the social distancing rule.
“We are safe because we are less than 100,” a congregant declared cheerfully.
The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church closed its branches on Saturday and congregants had services at their homes.
The church’s West Zimbabwe Conference live streamed services for congregants to follow on social media.
Prophet Magaya’s Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) which usually occupies the Small City Hall did not meet.
Harvest House International located at Corner 9th Avenue and George Silundika Street had split services into three to accommodate only 100 people or less and chairs had been spaced for about a metre or more apart.
At the entrance, ushers with masks and gloves were sanitising those entering or exiting the church.
Pastor Tinashe Gwarimbo said they were taking serious precautions to combat the spread of the virus. “We have limited our services to accommodate only 100 people. Our chairs are a metre apart, there is no laying or shaking of hands. We have also banned people from hugging, those who want to greet each other can do so using their elbows.
“All our microphones, chairs and any other equipment has been sanitised. We are making sure that after each service we sanitise everything to prepare for the next service,” he said.
“For those with offering, they will put their moneys in the offering baskets then our ushers who will count the money will be putting on gloves and masks in order to also protect themselves.”
Word of Life Church located along Robert Mugabe Way had also split services into six to accommodate at most 100 people.
Pastor Cyprian Mkhwananzi said they had split services to everyday so that they accommodate everyone.
He said services will run every day at different intervals and they will get the same attention just like all the other Sunday services.
“We now have three services on Saturday and six services on Sunday, three at the auditorium and the other three at our Chapel. We will also be having mid-week services in the evening and lunch hour services that are going to run every day,” he said.
Pastor Mkhwananzi said social distancing during the service also applies to couples regardless of the fact that they will be coming from the same house.
He added that they had only managed to get everyone sanitised as they enter and leave the church but are still short of necessary equipment to clean the church in preparation for other services.
At Guta Ramwari Zvimiso located in Mpopoma suburb, there were just a few congregants unlike the other Sundays when the church will be packed.
The secretary-general, Mr Barnabas Benson Chimoto said the church had taken heed of President Mnangagwa’s directive and minimised the number of congregants.
He said this was beneficial to both their congregants and the country as a whole.
Mr Chimoto also added that they had only come to church because they wanted to celebrate their branch which has existed for the past 17 years.
“We had no service today. We only came because we wanted to celebrate the presence of our branch which came into existence on March 16 in 2003 with Mai Juliet Nkuswa Chamoto as its elected leader.
“We could not let the day pass just like that. We intended to invite other branches and have a big service, instead with the coronavirus pandemic, we decided to limit our number and only about 50 or so people came.
“As a church we have also taken this opportunity to educate our congregants on the importance of hygiene and social distancing in light of this pandemic,” he said.
However, at St Patricks Roman Catholic Mission located in Makokoba it was business as usual.
Congregants queued for holy communion but they crowded together without maintaining the recommended social distance.
Sources who spoke to the news crew on condition of anonymity said services had been split into two with each service comprising less than 100 people.
Government on Saturday confirmed two cases of Covid-19 in the country.
A 38-year-old man who tested positive was quarantined in Victoria Falls.
The Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo announced the first confirmed case saying a foreigner, resident in Victoria Falls, had travelled back into Zimbabwe from Manchester, United Kingdom.
A second case of a 30-year-old man from Harare was recorded on Saturday.
He had travelled to New York in the United States of America on February 29 and returned home on March 9 through Johannesburg.
Dr Moyo urged the nation to remain calm and practise best hygiene as his Ministry continued tracing all contacts.
Own Correspondent|Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli has shocked the world after announcing that the country will not shut down places of worship over the Coronavirus pandemic because that is where true healing is found.
On Sunday, Magufuli told a congregation in Tanzania that the COVID-19 virus is Satanic and cannot survive in the body of Christ.
“We didn’t shut down churches and mosques because that is where there is real healing. Corona cannot survive in the body of Christ, it will burn,” he said to deafening cheers from the congregation.
Magufuli has been on the receiving end of social media criticism for allegedly misleading his people to assemble in churches, which puts them at a higher risk of contracting and spreading the virus.
Oppostion politician Zitto Kabwe criticized Magufuli’s comments and urged him to close mosques and churches to add to measures to fight the outbreak. “Let’s not argue with science,” Kabwe said in Swahili on his Twitter account. “Coronavirus is very bad.” On Saturday, Lazaro Nyalandu, a member of the central committee of the main opposition party Chadema called on the government to ban all public gatherings and close the country’s borders.
Magufuli’s comments came as neighboring countries expanded restrictions to reduce contagion. Kenya suspended all international passenger flights and stopped public meetings including religious gatherings. In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni closed borders, exempting cargo shipments and a set limit on crew numbers.
Tanzania closed schools and suspended sports events on March 17, a day after the government confirmed its first coronavirus case. In the speech announcing new Covid-19 infections, Magufuli gave additional directives including quarantining travelers from countries that reported cases at their own cost.
Across the world, nations have suspended all public gatherings including church services as one of the ways to minimize the chances of the virus spreading.
#StayAtHome has been trending on Twitter worldwide for the whole weekend. Why would Magufuli want his people to attend church? ignorance?
Tanzania has confirmed 12 cases of Coronavirus.
Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard NgirenteOwn Correspondent|Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente on Saturday ordered closure of all bars and restaurants across the country effective by mid-night for at least two weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) which has been confirmed in 17 patients.The statement issued by the Prime Minister office said the new decision which also ban all motorbike in public transports especially in Kigali also aims at limiting movement of people travelling to and from Kigali for many purposes including businesses.
Commenting on the new decision, Rwandan Minister of Health Dr Daniel Ngamije explained that Restaurants have to close common areas and are encourage to provide take-away for their clients.
By around mid-night Sunday, some suburbs areas of Kigali turned the city into a ghost town with several bars locked up and streets nearly empty.
The government has also recently announced serious travel restrictions including halting all passenger flights in and out of the country.
Among other precautionary measures that every Rwandan should follow so as to help tackle the pandemic include avoiding unnecessary travels upcountry and frequently washing hands with soap and water to disinfect their hands using sanitizer.
The new guidelines given by the ministry stipulate that any Rwandan national of resident who arrive in the country to self-quarantine for at least 14 days from the day of arrival.
Uganda President Yoweri MuseveniOwn Correspondent|Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has banned all foreigners and Ugandan citizens abroad from entering the country until further notice.
This is in order to protect Ugandans from the Coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was made on Sunday, the same day the country confirmed its first case of Coronavirus.
” No person, Ugandan or otherwise, will be allowed to enter Uganda by land or water except for drivers and accompanying crews, not exceeding 3 persons, for cargo transport vehicles ─ trailers, lorries and other cargo vehicles. No buses, mini-buses, salon cars or boda-bodas will be allowed in the country. Also, pedestrians, walking on foot, or bicycle rider will not be allowed to enter Uganda or to enter Uganda by road, path or water; nor will they be allowed to exit by those means,” reads part of the directive issued by the President.
He said no passenger airport will be allowed to land in any Ugandan airport.
Ugandan Health Minister Jane Aceng said the Coronavirus patient arrived into the country from Dubai via Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday morning.
“The confirmed case had travelled to Dubai on the 17th of March, four days ago for business purposes. At the time of his travel he was in good health,” The Minister said.
Uganda has shut down all schools and banned public gatherings.
By Peter Moyo |Let me take this opportunity to advise you Perrence Shiri the Women’s University educated graduate, that when it comes to law the devil is in the detail, its you who has gone rogue , anti revolutionary or you were badly educated that you need to go back to College this time not the Women’s University where it is known that you spent most of your time taking advantage of the poor women who wanted to educate themselves.
Let me remind you that you are not more Zimbabwean than other Zimbabweans. You are no saint if it wasn’t Chiwenga who took you to war you could have been a big sellout.
If ever ever there is a Chitepo School of Ideology please enroll there immediately. I have some questions to ask you Perrence Shiri.
1 – What motivated you to enact such a dangerous law? is it not personal interest above national interest?
2 – Do you understand what the word indigenous means? There is nowhere in your statutory instrument where you explained it’s meaning leaving it to loose interpretation.
3 – Does existing laws not allow for the compensation of black farmers, to be precise who had their farms taken?
4 – Are you the only one who fought for this country and died for it?
5 – Who owned the land before whites gave themselves title deeds?
6 – Are you aware of what the constitution says about land and why that provision was embedded in there!
7 – Are you aware that the offer letters you gave to black farmers and duly accepted are agreements between the people and government underwritten by their sweat and blood and confer rights to them just as good as your BIPPA and BIP agreements?
8 – Are you aware that the Rhodesian government gave leases with eventual title to Africans in the African Purchase Area which they never withdrew even for those who were supporting the liberation struggle and wanted the regime removed? That’s what a government does once it gives rights they are not taken away unlike in your corrupt case. Once a right is given it cannot be withdrawn without adequate and acceptable compensation.
9 – Are you aware that you cannot displace citizens and allocate that land to foreigners?
10 – Are you aware that the people of Zimbabwe can see through what you want to do? You want to bring back selected whites to get your kickbacks , pay yourself for farms you claim to have owned which you fronted for whites avoiding resettlement despite you having several farms you took during the land reform program. Why are you giving yourself more powers than the President himself?
11 – Are you aware of something called ‘precedence’ in law? ( l am sure at the Women’s University they should have taught you this ) Once you do your reckless move you will open floodgates of litigation by the former colonizers.
12 – Are you aware of the SADC tribunal ruling and that it forms part of ZIDERA conditions that land must be restored to the former whites? Is that the restore legacy you have been talking about? Once you accept the BIPPA and BIP how will you handle this?
13 – Are you aware that if you restore title to a certain group of whites others will have their fair day in court alleging discrimination? What would be the difference between an investor from Germany, Belgium, Britain or South Africa and local white and black investors , are they not investors? Is it that to you those who come by plane are investors and local ones are not? So now what will you do now since the planes are now a purveyor of covid-19 will you cry for your foreign relatives who will soon be blocked from coming into the country?
14 – Are you aware that since you took office blacks have become more insecure on their land and resultantly production on black farms has gone down? Are you aware that farming is long term and as long as blacks have no title deeds and with a Minister like you who churns statutory instruments every week like downsizing what what they won’t be able to raise capital ? This is the very same reasons why whites a demanding title deeds back it’s just to raise capital? Why are you comfortable with a law that spares you only just because you are in power forgetting that one day when you are down and tired it will be used against you and by the way this is not very far? Are you aware that a new Minister using your law may want to return Arcadia dam to the foreign investors who financed the construction of that Dam which you now wholly own as an individual?
15 – What have you done to empower black farmers? Everyday they get threatened on their land. Are you aware that the Rhodesians you greatly admire and want to bring back would not settle a farmer without providing requisite infrastructure like paddocks, fence around the farm, water, access roads, farm house, access to grants and concesionary loans from the land back of Agricultural Finance Corporation? They would use the title deeds given to them by the illegal settler regime and those who failed on the farms the system would do anything possible to assist them until they were finally forced to sell the land to another white man.
16 – Are you aware that the real owners of Zimbabwean land are the people through their Chiefs like the British through Her Majesty ? Are you aware that it is the spirit mediums of this land who ordered that it was time to spill blood in the fight for our land? Did you consult the Chiefs and therefore the people of Zimbabwe before you took it upon yourself to do this stupid law? Were the above not part of the liberation war and its only you alone who can decide the fate of this country? All the way from Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique and into Zimbabwe did you survive on a special liberators gas that you did not ask for food from the people who today you want to decimate their livelihoods? If you have failed on the issue of land can we send our very own Chiefs to the international courts to represent us even if they are to be jailed we will contribute what ever we have has Zimbabweans to get them back rather than return our land.
17- Are you aware that the world has accepted land reform and now want to move forward but issues of democracy, rule of law and good governance are what you must respect. What is the point of bringing back a white man whose farm will be taken away by a statutory instrument one year down the line? Why are you playing Russian roulette with the people’s land? Are you aware that in law there is the principle of ‘impossibility’ simply meaning you cannot enact a law that is impossible to implement. Some of your statutory instruments especially your latest one and the one on farms downsizing are impossible to implement unless the are certain individuals targeted . Are you going to downsize your friend Billy Rautenbach’s sugarcane estate or you will continue taking land from blacks and giving him because he is white? Are you going to downsize Openheimer’s land which is almost the size of Belgium? Are you going to remove the sugar cane farmers allocated land and many others on other farms which had BIPPA or other agreements without destabilizing the country?
18 – Are you aware that we can take Britain to court for the abuse our people suffered at the hands of these settlers, the plunder of our minerals and compensation for the use of our land . This was all done under the banner of Her Majesty and she is naturally the defendant . Why are we always on the receiving end of white litigation done in white mans courts? Germany is still paying reparations for the havoc it did in the world wars and what’s so special about those who carried out genocide on our people and looted our resources? Are you aware that your failure to explain the meaning of ‘indigenous’ in your statutory instrument makes certain generations if whites born here indigenous and rightly so?
19 – Are you aware that the spirit of Nehanda, Herbert Chitepo, Joshua Nkomo, Simon Muzenda, Robert Mugabe will rise and deal with your permanent revolutionary and know all attitude. The people of Zimbabwe will not be undermined by you and stand ready to pay the supreme sacrifice again.
20 – Why are we not using proceeds from our minerals to pay compensation? Why are we handing over mining concessions to foreigners who are selling them for billions on the international market with the money never coming back into the country?
21 – Why are you not giving title deeds to black farmers? Why have you abandoned projects carried out by former President Mugabe of Mechanisation of our peasant farmers the ones whose cattle you ate?
22 – Lastly l would like to ask you Perrence Shiri and you alone, are you still sane, are those safety shoes you put on carrying a sane man? Please answer me in the name of the great people of Zimbabwe.
As l conclude it would be prudent for you to withdraw your SI62 of 2020. After that you then resign that is if you know that resigning will leave you with some measure of respect. If you ignore and fail to answer my questions rest assured they will form the basis of your future indictment and this will not be far. The people of Zimbabwe deserve better.
State Media|POLICE will be conducting patrols and spot checks to enforce the Covid-19-induced ban on large gatherings as Government deliberates on measures to encourage social distancing.
To stop the spread of coronavirus, officials are encouraging the public to practice social distancing — staying home, avoiding crowds, keeping two metres apart during gatherings and refraining from touching one another.
The country still has two recorded cases of corona virus cases and social distancing, experts say, is the best way to avoid new cases.
President Mnangagwa recently declared Covid-19 a State of National Disaster and postponed major social events including the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), the 40th Independence Day celebrations, religious and public gatherings of more than 100 people for the next 60 days.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said complying with the regulations is meant to protect every citizen from contracting coronavirus.
Yesterday, some members of the country were lobbying for Government to totally ban all public gatherings regardless of size to minimise the risk of the virus spreading in the country.
This was observed after some religious organisations and bars defied Government’s directive that the gathering of 100 and more people be suspended.
Members of the public said as long as there were no punitive measures for those defying the directive, some citizens will continue to act recklessly.
“From what you are saying, that there are some churches who had 100 or more members for services today. We will conduct investigations and where appropriate the necessary measures will be put up. But what is important is for church leaders and other institutions to comply not for their own interest but the benefit of their members,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said cops are also on high alert to arrest border jumpers as they can also expose the country to unrecorded cases.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo said Government is set to evaluate compliance to implemented measures before taking further action.
“This is a decision that needs to be done collectively. It cannot be announced by a single department.
We await, for further discussions that are led by the President. There will be appraisals of what has happened so far. But I thought when the President discouraged the gathering of more than 100 people it was going to be adhered to, because not doing so is very bad,” said the Minister.
Health and Child Care Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Agnes Mahomva said her ministry as the technical department in addressing Covid-19, will take up public suggestions.
She said some of the suggestions would be forwarded to Cabinet for possible adoption. “That is what they are thinking and we like those suggestions as they come as wider as they might be. We look at them, we consider them, we give guidance and that technical guidance is taken up. Cabinet looks at it and comes up with final Government decision on what Zimbabwe will do. Again, it speaks to us working collaboratively as a team not the Ministry of Health alone. We are the technical arm of Government when it comes to health and its consolidated looking at other aspects. Those suggestions are very welcome they actually help us craft whatever guidance that is required that is looked at,” she said.
Dr Mahomva said other Government departments have to play their part to ensure that the public complies with directives meant to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“Once something is declared there is division of labour in terms of enforcing the rule of the law in Zimbabwe. So, there are other players who will look at that. We give technical guidance in term of what is needed to be done when it comes to public health disaster like this, as the President declared,” said Dr Mahomva. “We will continue encouraging other ministries that we are working with to also ramp up what they need to do. Working to ensure that we are working in collaboration, supporting each other because it’s a national issue. As long as it’s a national issue, it means the task goes beyond the Ministry of Health and Child Care.”
Two coronavirus cases have been recorded in the country so far with the first patient testing positive in Victoria Falls on Friday and the other in Harare on Saturday.
In the Ministry of Health and Child Care daily update yesterday, Dr Mahomva said the two confirmed Covid-19 patients are recovering in a stable condition.
“As was previously reported, the first case is showing signs of recovery and is being managed under self-isolation at home. The second case continues to be managed under isolation at Wilkins Hospital and is stable,” said Dr Mahomva.
“Seven contacts of the second case have so far been identified and followed up, and the remaining 11 are still being followed-up. Samples have been collected from the seven contacts identified so far and 4 results received so far have tested negative for Covid-19. The Ministry will continue with intensified surveillance to detect any potential cases early and limit further spread of Covid-19.”
South Africa’s biggest supermarket Shoprite will limit purchases of some food products and medicines, it said yesterday, as frantic shoppers stripped shelves to prepare for possible isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.
As the spread of the infection triggers panic buying across the world, South African retailers are saying they are working with their suppliers to ensure a consistent supply of products like meat and canned food, and medicine. Countries across Africa reporting their first coronavirus cases have seen a rush on shops, with customers piling trolleys with wipes, sanitiser, and staples like rice and long-life milk.
To ensure more people have access to everyday essentials, Shoprite said it is now rationing the sale of toilet paper, tissues, wipes, liquid soap, hand sanitiser as well as some tinned foods, cereals, antiseptic disinfectant liquids, medicines and vitamins.
On Wednesday, Woolworths said it is introducing a limit of only three items per product and per customer on every grocery line, while Massmart’s Makro has also restricted purchases of essential items like rice, frozen chicken and toilet paper.
“Unfortunately many consumers have not yet heeded to the call to refrain from stockpiling, therefore rationing the sale of certain products has become necessary,” Shoprite said in a statement.
Shoprite said it has also allocated special till points for pensioners and vulnerable people including those with disabilities at its Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets.
“The group appeals to senior citizens to shop outside of peak travel times and when stores are quieter to minimise exposure,” it said. — Reuters.
Correspondent|Members of the South African police flying squad have escorted four 25 -seater buses of foreign nationals back to Lebombo gate after they entered the country through the gate on Sunday morning.
According to reports, Trans African Concession was ordered by Saps to stop the buses ferrying foreign nationals at Machado toll plaza.
Mpumalanga EFF leader, Collen Sedibe said that the buses are now back in Mozambique.
In a statement released by the EFF, the party states they have been tracking a group of Japanese nationals attempting to enter South Africa illegally.
“The group is possibly part of the passengers on one of the 14 aircrafts which were turned back at OR Rambo after SA citizens had disembarked on Friday March 20”, reads the statement.
In light of the spike in the rate of the coronavirus infections across the world, no one is allowed entry into SA except citizens of the country. As a result, the foreign nationals were denied entry.
The EFF said they received a tip off and immediately activated relevant forces to track those individuals who subsequently travelled to Mozambique, where they reportedly disembarked and made their way to South Africa.
“We alerted the police in Mpumalanga who responded with the urgency the matter deserved and they managed to track down the buses”, added the EFF.
The buses were stopped at Machadodorp toll gate heading towards Gauteng through the N4.
The EFF stated that the destination or intentions of the foreign nationals are currently unclear and not yet known.
“We are alarmed by this situation and hope that in future we do not find the health of our citizens compromised in this manner”, said the EFF, further urging the government to ensure harsh consequences for those who breach the set of regulations during this difficult time.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in SA has escalated to 274.
File Picture of travellers at Beitbridge Border Post State Media|Beitbridge Border Post has seen incoming travellers drop significantly daily as increasing numbers heed advice to avoid unnecessary trips.
Part of the decline is attributable to more people avoiding or postponing shopping trips and leisure travel.
On average, 14 000 people and 70 buses used to pass through Beitbridge daily in both directions and the number increases to a combined 38 000 travellers and 120 buses in both directions in peak times.
Though he could not give figures, the assistant regional immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube confirmed that the number of people being cleared, especially on the entry side, was on the decline.
“I cannot give you any statistics at the moment, but yes we have noted a decline especially on people coming into the country,” he said.
As a way of intensifying operations at the border, Government has moved the port health centre to a checkpoint near the New Limpopo and the Alfred Beit bridges to ensure no-one can evade routine screening.
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Buses and vehicles are dropping off people at the screening point before proceeding to the main border arena.
The checkpoint is manned by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Army. Since the last fortnight border authorities made the screening of travellers coming into the country mandatory.
When travellers arrive at the border they first go to the port health point for screening and only when they are cleared there can they proceed to immigration formalities.
After being screened, if they have no signs of illness, they are given a tag to tender along with their passports at immigration.
In addition to that the travellers are required to sanitise their hands before handing over their passports to immigration officials, who have gloves and face masks and also sanitise their hands to reduce their risks.
The Government has managed to track down seven out of 18 people who got into contact with one of the two people who tested positive to Covid-19.
Health officials were by yesterday still following up the 11.
The seven had samples taken and tested and four came out negative while results for the three people are yet to come out.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care last night said it was managing well the two who posted positive, with one being managed from home while another is still at Wilkins Hospital.
Both are being managed in isolation.
“The ministry would like to advise the nation that to date Zimbabwe has recorded two confirmed cases of Covid-19.
“Seven contacts of the second case have so far been identified and followed up and the remaining 11 are still being followed. Samples have been collected from the seven identified and so far, four results received have tested negative for Covid-19,’’ said the ministry in a statement.
The ministry said both patients are stable.
“The ministry will continue with intensified surveillance to detect any potential cases early and limit further spread.
“As we previously reported, the first case is showing signs of recovery and is being managed under self-isolation at home. The second case continues to be managed under isolation at Wilkins Hospital and is stable.”
BULAWAYO – Chief Justice Luke Malaba was suspended and subsequently transferred from Bulawayo to Masvingo for obstructing the police while working as a magistrate, ZimLive can reveal.
Malaba was a regular patron at unlicenced residential bars known as shebeens in Bulawayo, and routinely clashed with police sent to clear the illegal joints in the early 1980s.
The then magistrate was required to make this disclosure before becoming a High Court judge, and when he attended public interviews to become Chief Justice – but there is no evidence he did.
Our revelations today will raise fresh questions about the 68-year-old’s fitness to hold office.
Malaba, then a 32-year-old magistrate, was suspended in October 1984 by the provincial magistrate for Matabeleland, Phil Finch. It was announced at the time that Malaba and another magistrate had been “prohibited from duty… in terms of the Public Services Regulations”, and that the matter was “being dealt with administratively”, according to a report in The Chronicle newspaper unearthed by this website.
A source who was a police officer at the time, and now works in government, disclosed that although the reasons for Malaba’s suspension were not publicly shared, the decision followed repeated police complaints about his conduct.
“The allegations against Malaba were initially raised by junior police officers who had been tasked with raiding shebeens in the suburbs of Bulawayo, especially Mpopoma,” the source said, after securing guarantees they would not be named for professional reasons.
“The officers complained that they repeatedly clashed with Malaba, who was a permanent patron in shebeens. It was alleged that Malaba made it impossible for the police details to discharge their duties as he would threaten them with the fact that he was a magistrate. The officers felt that at any rate it would be awkward arresting shebeen patrons who would ultimately appear before Malaba. They eventually decided to report the matter to the provincial magistrate.”
Finch, the source said, “took the view that Malaba’s conduct was indeed unworthy and constituted obstruction of the police in the exercise by them of their duties.”
Malaba was immediately transferred to Masvingo by Finch as punishment.
“The thinking was that he would then be charged for obstructing the course of justice. This did not happen for reasons that are not immediately apparent, but which smack of corruption,” the retired police officer said.
V11 … Justice Luke Malaba was suspended as a magistrate in October 1984, and his suspension reported in The ChronicleMalaba was handpicked to become a judge of the High Court and eventually that of the Supreme Court, but when he became Chief Justice and went through public interviews as required under the new constitution, he was required by the constitution to make full and frank disclose of all occurrences that potentially affected his ascension to the highest judicial office.
Evidence on hand shows that he did not disclose his suspension years earlier for obstructing the police.
Malaba, who became Chief Justice in March 2017, is due to retire in 2022 when he reaches the age of 70 – the top cap for judges.
Questions left for Malaba through the Judicial Services Commission had not been responded to, while Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi was not reachable at the time of publication.
Full disclosure requirement … A form that aspiring judges fill before public interviews requiring them to disclose “circumstances… which may cause you embarrassment” before becoming judgeFailed to declare … There is no evidence Luke Malaba disclosed 1984 suspension during his bid to become Chief Justice-zimliveZimlive
The opposition MDC led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa has said that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a health matter and not a political one.
These remarks come after the central government castigated the MDC-led Harare City Council for announcing “new confirmed cases” of the virus. The number was contrary to that of the Minister of Health and Child Care.
We present MDC’s statement in full below.
Covid19 not a partisan issue
We have noted with concern that central government wants to proscribe local authorities from going public about cases of Covid-19.
Local authorities and councils are at the coal face of primary health care across the length and breadth of the country and in the urban areas. There is nothing anomalous about councils going public about cases of Covid-19 in the health facilities under their jurisdiction, considering that we have before us a dire challenge that has not only become a threat to human lives but has stretched the capacity of health care systems across the world.
Zanu PF should know that this is no longer a partisan issue but a matter of life and death that knows no race, region, tribe nor party card.
The same government that insists that it be informed first took three days to respond to Cyclone Idai. We have also not forgotten that it is the same government that killed people on August 1 2018 and in January 2019, not to mention the slow genocide taking place under its watch in our hospitals because we have in charge a regime that simply doesn’t care about the sanctity of human life.
We cannot politic around an issue of human lives.
Zimbabwe Lock Out Corona (#ZimLOC)
MDC Communications
THREE people died on the spot while 11 others were injured in an accident that happened along the Rutenga-Zvishavane Road last week.
Acting Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed the accident which occurred at the 128km peg along the Rutenga-Zvishavane highway at around 7pm on Monday. She said the injured were admitted to Zvishavane District Hospital.
“I can confirm that we are investigating a fatal road accident which occurred at the 128km peg along the Rutenga-Zvishavane Road on 16 March at around 7pm,” said Insp Mukwende.
She said Sheunopa Mashavidze (35) from Makwasha, Zvishavane was driving a Toyota Fun Cargo towards Buchwa Mine with five passengers on board.
“Upon reaching the 128km peg he encroached onto the opposite lane, resulting in a head on collision with another Toyota Fun Cargo which was being driven by Milason Shava (44) of Mataga who had eight passengers on board,” said Insp Mukwende.
She said three people died on the spot while 11 were injured.
“Tamudaishe Sibanda (53), Rachel Mashavidze aged one year five months and an unknown male adult died on the spot and eleven other passengers were seriously injured,” said Insp Mukwende.
The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene.
Insp Mukwende said police were appealing to drivers to be cautious on the road to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.-State media
By Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe, MP Harare West
The people’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa has encouraged us the elected officials to raise awareness on Coronavirus in our communities.
It is our responsibility as leaders to spread awareness about #COVIDー19.
Myself and ward 16 Clr Denford Ngadziore visited our disabled friends @ Paraplegic centre in Mabelreign to hear from them on what measures they are taking to prevent the virus.
We also donated walkers, food hampers and soap for them to wash their hands.
Let’s remember to wash our hands all the time please!! We also took time to visit the vendors at Mabelreign shops to raise awareness on #Covid19. #ZimLoc
Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz has died due to Coronavirus.
Sanz who was 76 years old at the time of his death, died on Saturday after contracting the dangerous epidemic, which the word is struggling to contain.
Los Blancos announced the death of their former president via a statement on their website.
”Real Madrid C. F., the club president and Board of Directors all wish to express the deepest regret at the passing of Lorenzo Sanz, who was club president of Real Madrid from 1995 to 2000.
The club wishes to convey its condolences to his wife Mari Luz, his children, Lorenzo, Francisco, Fernando, María Luz (Malula) and Diana, as well as his family and friends. Our condolences are shared by all madridistas.”
Sanz was in charge of the club from 1995 to 2000 before being succeeded by the current chief Florentino Perez.-Soccer 24
– FULL TEXT –
Below is the story of the week which comes as the Chinese government announced that Zimbabwe is no longer safe for travelers:
CORONAVIRUS: Chinese Govt tells own citizens not to travel to Zimbabwe as 502 people are monitored for #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/e9UDMcTIAU
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 22, 2020
By Farai D Hove| The Minister of Health Obadiah Moyo who has for weeks been hiding coronavirus statistics from the public, has shot at the opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa over announcing coronavirus related statements.
The development comes as his administration was criticised for suppressing statistics on the plague. Yesterday, Moyo who has for a while obfuscated bio data of Chinese patients, made an about turn when he for the first time revealed the ethnic identity of a patient who is a European Caucasian.
On Saturday, Chamisa announced that city of Harare officials have told him of two more confirmed cases of coronavirus positive diagnosis.
Speaking via a press release, a somewhat disturbed Moyo said he is the only coronavirus official channel of information. WATCH BELOW:
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz has died due to Coronavirus.
Sanz who was 76 years old at the time of his death, died on Saturday after contracting the dangerous epidemic, which the word is struggling to contain.
Los Blancos announced the death of their former president via a statement on their website.
”Real Madrid C. F., the club president and Board of Directors all wish to express the deepest regret at the passing of Lorenzo Sanz, who was club president of Real Madrid from 1995 to 2000.
The club wishes to convey its condolences to his wife Mari Luz, his children, Lorenzo, Francisco, Fernando, María Luz (Malula) and Diana, as well as his family and friends. Our condolences are shared by all madridistas.”
Sanz was in charge of the club from 1995 to 2000 before being succeeded by the current chief Florentino Perez.-Soccer 24
Coronavirus Alert:Keep your hands clean always(see chart below)
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Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has tested positive for coronavirus in China.
The Belgian announced the news on Social media on Sunday. He is currently under isolation at Jinan hospital.
“Dear friends, I have been tested for coronavirus and my test result is positive,” Fellaini wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to the fans, medical staff and the club for their care and attention.
“I will follow the treatment and hope to return to the game as soon as possible. Please, everyone, stay safe.”
Fellaini is currently playing for Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng which he joined in January 2019.
Other football stars that have contracted the virus of late include Juventus forward Paulo Dybala and AC Milan attacker Daniel Maldini.-Soccer 24
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has tested positive for coronavirus in China.
The Belgian announced the news on Social media on Sunday. He is currently under isolation at Jinan hospital.
“Dear friends, I have been tested for coronavirus and my test result is positive,” Fellaini wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to the fans, medical staff and the club for their care and attention.
“I will follow the treatment and hope to return to the game as soon as possible. Please, everyone, stay safe.”
Fellaini is currently playing for Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng which he joined in January 2019.
Other football stars that have contracted the virus of late include Juventus forward Paulo Dybala and AC Milan attacker Daniel Maldini.-Soccer 24
President Nelson Chamisa shares tips on how to fight Coronavirus. ..
By Business Reporter| All McDonald’s restaurants in the UK are set to close indefinitely by 7pm tomorrow evening due to coronavirus.
Earlier on the company had closed its seating areas while offering takeaway and drive-thru services.
But following the rise in cases the company has announced saying: “This is not a decision we are taking lightly, but one made with the wellbeing and safety of our employees in mind as well as the best interests of our customers.
“We will work with local community groups to responsibly distribute food and drink from our restaurants in the coming days.
“Thank you to our brilliant employees for their hard work during this incredibly challenging time.
“We look forward to seeing you all again as soon as it is safe for us to reopen.’
In the past week the company had been offering free drinks to those in the NHS, emergency services, as well as social care worker. TWEET BELOW:
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa speaks on Coronavirus…
IF MASISI IS QUARANTINED, WHY IS MNANGAGWA NOT DOING THE SAME?
Botswana has issued a statement that its President has gone into self-isolation, and will be tested for (Covic1-19) after his meeting with Emmerson Mnangagwa and others in Namibia yesterday. FULL TEXT:
22- March 2020
The Office of the President wishes to inform members of the public that the Director of Health Services in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr .0.1 IshlPoYagae, in exercise of the powers vested in him under Section 25 of the Public Health Act of 2013, has placed His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Keabetswe Masisi on self-isolation for a penal of fourteen (14) days start, March 21 2020, following his trip to the Republic of Namibia on March 21 2020.
The rationale for the imposition of self-isolation is that while Namibia has registered three (3) imported cases, and is coisidered low risk for SARS-Cv-2 transmission at the time of His Excellency the President’s trip to Namibia, the low testing rates in the Region makes that determination difficult and there is a high possibility of undetermined local transmission.
During the time of self-isolation, His Excellency will be tested for (Covic1-19) prio to being cleared His Excellency the President will, as such, be working from his official residence but quarantined away from his family. The Director of Health services has extended the same impositions to the rest the entourage that travelled with His Excellency the President to Namibia.
By A Correspondent| Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s nephew who is the brother of the twins at the centre of the money transfer scandal in which they collectively implicated Chiwenga’s wife, Marry, has been found dead in Chegutu.
Family sources told ZimEye, he was fishing at the time of death.
Chiwenga’s former junior, Perrance Shiri has since sent a group of soldiers to investigate the death – More details to follow…
Botswana has issued a statement that its President has gone into self-isolation, and will be tested for (Covic1-19) after his meeting with Emmerson Mnangagwa and others in Namibia yesterday. FULL TEXT:
22- March 2020
The Office of the President wishes to inform members of the public that the Director of Health Services in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr .0.1 IshlPoYagae, in exercise of the powers vested in him under Section 25 of the Public Health Act of 2013, has placed His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Keabetswe Masisi on self-isolation for a penal of fourteen (14) days start, March 21 2020, following his trip to the Republic of Namibia on March 21 2020.
The rationale for the imposition of self-isolation is that while Namibia has registered three (3) imported cases, and is coisidered low risk for SARS-Cv-2 transmission at the time of His Excellency the President’s trip to Namibia, the low testing rates in the Region makes that determination difficult and there is a high possibility of undetermined local transmission.
During the time of self-isolation, His Excellency will be tested for (Covic1-19) prio to being cleared His Excellency the President will, as such, be working from his official residence but quarantined away from his family. The Director of Health services has extended the same impositions to the rest the entourage that travelled with His Excellency the President to Namibia.
FIVE family members died while several others were injured in a road accident on Friday as they were on their way to bury another family member in Mtshabezi in Gwanda District, when the kombi they were travelling in burst one of its tyres and veered off the road.
The accident occurred just after the Danger descent on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. Member of Parliament for Umzingwane Retired Brigadier-General Levi Mayihlome was one of the people who visited the scene of the accident.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele, confirmed the accident, but said he did not have details of the crash as he had been in a workshop in Bulawayo.
“I can confirm that the accident did indeed occur and we lost five lives all from one family. They are from Mpopoma and they were all going to the funeral of another relative. Three of those people died on the spot while another one passed away at Esigodini District Hospital. The fifth person died while they were being transported to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for further treatment.
“We got a lot of assistance from staff at Esigodini Hospital who moved swiftly to make sure that more lives were not lost. We are also grateful to police officers who were really helpful throughout this ordeal. The good news that we have received as of today (yesterday) is that all the other members that were injured in the crash are all out of danger,” said Rtd Brig-Gen Mayihlome.
The MP added that a district hospital was needed at Esigodini to handle cases of such magnitude.
“It’s about time a proper district hospital was built as Esigodini to cater for many travellers who use the Bulawayo-Gwanda highway. We also think speed humps should be erected in that stretch of the road (Danger) to make sure that motorists slow down.”
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is looking at transferring Umzingwane High School head, Mr Moroka Magaya, after parents approached the ministry alleging that there was gross mismanagement of the once revered school.
Parents, a couple of weeks ago converged on the school baying for Mr Magaya’s blood alleging that he was running down the boys’ school and was steering it to a situation where it is now a pale shadow of its former self. The parents demanded that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education institute a forensic audit of the school finances. They were further demanding that Mr Magaya be immediately transferred from the school.
Matabeleland South provincial education director, Mr Lifias Masukume while not confirming or denying the transfer listing of Mr Magaya said his office had completed all the necessary investigations as guided by the allegations raised by the parents.
“All I can say for now is that we have resolved the matter. We carried out an audit of the school’s finances and also a schools’ inspection team visited the school, both reports were submitted to my office and were used to determine the next step. As it stands, I can assure you that come next term there will be much difference at the school. We have pretty much adhered to the parent’s demands,” said Mr Masukume.
A source in the ministry, however, revealed that the two reports from the audit team and the schools’ inspection were so damning that the PED’s office had to recommend transfer listing Mr Magaya.
“It is highly likely that he will be transferred to another school. The ministry officials were especially shocked by what they discovered because previously Mr Magaya has been vehemently defending himself,” said the source.
According to the letter from parents exposing Mr Magaya’s conduct parents alleged that over the past two years the school negatively dropped in academic performance.
“Learners in the year 2019 have complained of being poorly fed in the school’s dining hall yet parents buy groceries as demanded by the school. The headmaster, surprisingly to all parents who buy these groceries, has not given any explanation regarding this situation of poor feeding.
“School authorities, that is the School Development Committee, have attributed the occurrence of poor feeding to failure by some parents to honour buying groceries and paying school fees, but none of them, including the school on the headmaster’s initiative, have made available any lists of learners who are in arrears. Again, the school head has remained tight-lipped regarding this issue.
“There is also the troubling issue of Mathematics subject recording zero percent pass rate yet the headmaster has remained mute about how to fix this issue. At some point last year (2019) the pupils decided to engage in a mini demonstration as a result of their grievances.
“What makes parents even more concerned is that all these issues are happening right under the nose of the headmaster, for instance, one child lost his life as a result of bullying at the school, and another child got severely injured because of bullying again and there was no effort to immediately communicate the incident to the parent of the injured boy,” reads the letter.
Umzingwane Member of Parliament Retired Brigadier-General Levi Mayihlome who the school recently following the allegations raised by the parents, commended the steps being taken by the ministry officials to resolve the matter.
“I have been also engaging the ministry with the hope that they can intervene and help proffer a solution,” said Rtd Brig-Gen Mayihlome.
The headmaster said while he was not aware of the developments, he was not allowed to talk to the media, referring this reporter to the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya THE country runs the risk of seeing the rapid spread of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), as healthcare workers do not have adequate knowledge on how to deal with potential cases while conspiracy theories about how the virus only attacks certain races had led Zimbabweans to act recklessly.
In an interview with Sunday News yesterday, Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said the lack of awareness and knowledge among healthcare workers was shocking, and instead of aiding in the fight against the virus, their actions could fuel its spread. District hospitals, he said, were still rushing suspected Covid-19 patients to central hospitals instead of infectious diseases healthcare centres. Wilkins Hospital in Harare and Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital are the healthcare centres that are expected to handle Covid-19 cases.
“With our situation, the problem starts with the ignorance of health workers. Health workers should not, for example at district hospitals, just put patients into the ambulance and move them to central hospital. That will cause a lot of mass infection. The ministry is working on ways of trying to separate the two. People that are infected should be taken to Thorngrove which is run by city health. Those people have all resources, test kits and gadgets to actually care for people with infectious diseases like coronavirus,” he said.
Dr Ngwenya said he was also alarmed by the actions of people who still visited sick relatives in large numbers despite the fact large gatherings had been discouraged by Government.
“As I speak today, I say people should not visit their sick relatives in large numbers. May we have one or two visitors coming to see a patient,” he said.
Dr Ngwenya said people saying only white people contracted Covid-19 were misguided, as the virus did not care about colour or creed. He observed that if the virus could overwhelm healthcare systems in developed nations, it could bring greater death and suffering to African countries.
“In Africa it is very pertinent that we emphasise very strong on prevention measures because we don’t have the equipment and manpower to confront this virus. On our side this is compounded by ignorance because people have their theories and so forth.
“The scientific evidence is that this virus infects all races not just white people. This is very important. At first there are no cases, then there is one case and then even more cases turn up and then afterwards they start reporting deaths. As we speak in South Africa, they went through what we are going through. As of yesterday, there were 202 cases and in Zimbabwe there was one,” he said.
Dr Ngwenya added that it was important for people to realise that Covid-19 was not spread like the normal flu.
“The virus appears to be transmitted from not only the cough, sneezing and so forth. For example, in one sneeze a person emits 3 000 droplets and in temperatures under 27 degrees they last as long as up to two days. People come and touch those droplets. So, by touching your eyes you are actually inoculating yourself with the virus,” he said.
VILLAGERS in some parts of the country might be sleep walking into a crisis of disastrous proportions if Covid-19 (coronavirus) was to hit the remote areas of the country, with many seemingly unaware of the basics about the disease or the steps needed to safeguard against contracting or spreading it.
The country is on high alert and President Mnangagwa last Thursday launched a Covid-19 National Preparedness and Response Plan as the country continues to heighten preparedness. However, despite an information blitz that has been received in urban areas, indications are that people in rural areas have not received adequate education about the rampaging virus.
When a Sunday News crew visited Matabeleland South last week, most people claimed they were oblivious of the virus and what they needed to do to combat it.
Mr David Ncube (73) of Malahlela Village in Esigodini said although he has a radio where he was getting news updates about coronavirus, fellow villagers have no access to radios or newspapers and were relying on the grapevine about the pandemic.
“We don’t know much about this disease. Personally, I have been able to hear what has been said about it while listening on my radio. This morning for example I learnt a lot of things about this illness but unfortunately not all of us have radios. So, the information that most of us have has come from things that are discussed among people when they go to fetch water.
“We really don’t know much about what is required. I know that we’re supposed to use soap to wash our hands but we don’t have these things and that’s not because we don’t want to have them but because we don’t have money to buy them. We’re poor so those things are not our priority,” Mr Ncube said.
For Mr Jabulani Ncube of Gongo Village, most of the information that is being spread is based on myths and fiction because no one is empowering them with the right information.
“We have been told not to shake hands. That’s the only thing that we know. We don’t know anything else about what to do to help ourselves and not get this disease. We wish there would be people that could come and teach us about how this disease affects people and how we can stop it from spreading among ourselves,” Mr Ncube said.
When Sunday News crew got to Sibomvu Shopping Centre, three young men were sharing a calabash (opaque beer) and one of them Mr Jabulani Ncube (28) said they did not know if this could lead to their vulnerability to the coronavirus.
“We don’t know what this thing called coronavirus is. Maybe you people have come to give it to us, we don’t know. Right now, we are sharing a calabash between the three of us and it is not the first one that we have shared. We are people that live together and do everything together and I don’t think I can imagine telling my friend here next to me that he can’t share the calabash with me. That is not how we were raised and I don’t think we can start doing that because of a disease that we don’t know much about,” Mr Ncube said.
Mrs Doris Ncube
His companion and drinking partner, Mr Mthokozisi Dlamini said they were confused about what the disease was as the only source of news they have was the radio which blared loud music behind them.
“We would prefer it if there were people that came here to teach us. Right now, we don’t know much and there are a lot of stories being told about this coronavirus but the message is not reaching us. Maybe those that have radios may know what is going on but not everyone has a radio. As you can hear there is loud music playing right now and we can’t stop it so we can listen to news about coronavirus,” he said.
For Innocent Dlodlo (36), educating older people about the virus would be an uphill task as some of the proposed measures to fight the virus, like not shaking hands, clashed with essential and long-held traditions in the area.
Mrs Doris Ncube said even local healthcare workers had not provided them with much information about the virus.
“We have not had much information and even here at the clinic they have not told us much about what this virus is. As it is, we don’t know who catches it or who passes it on. I’m eating right now and I don’t even know if this is the right thing to do or not. We’re also the people who cook for our children at school, so if we catch something, they will also catch it so we are very worried right now,” she said.
A MINISTRY of Mines and Mining Development mine supervisor has been arrested for allegedly accepting money from a client as a payment to process his papers for a mine claim.
Mhlanguli Mguni (30) who is based in Gwanda was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing a criminal abuse of duty charge. He was remanded out of custody to 22 April on $500 bail.
Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said Mguni received US$120 from Mr Farai Mavhungwa on 17 July in 2018.
‘‘On 17 July 2018 Mr Mavhungwa and Mr Noel Ndlovu went to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development office to notify the ministry of their intention to peg a mine at Gobathema area in Guyu. They were attended by Mguni who advised them to collect the co-ordinates of the area they intended to peg. He gave them a GPS machine and told the complainant to pay US$60 for the machine but did not issue a receipt.
‘‘Mr Mavhungwa later came back with the co-ordinates to Mguni who verified them and told the complainant to go ahead and peg his mine. On a date unknown to the prosecutor Mr Mavhungwa made a follow-up on the papers he had submitted and Mguni told him to pay US$60 for his papers to be processed and he complied but he wasn’t issued with a receipt. The matter was later reported to the police resulting in Mguni’s arrest,’’ she said.
In his submissions in court Mr Nqobani Sithole of Ncube and Associates who represented Mguni said the offence which his client is alleged to have committed occurred in 2018 and the complainant only made the report in March this year which shows that they were fabricated.
He said the complainant in his statement said he paid Mguni US$60 to process his papers which was an act of corruption.
Mr Sithole said the complainant then went to the police and willingly confessed that he had paid the accused US$60 which meant that he was involved in an act of corruption and also had to be arrested.
Officials in Bulawayo said they were on high alert and response teams have been put on standby since the country recorded its first case on Friday.
“The City of Bulawayo would like to encourage residents and members of the public to be vigilant in light of Covid-19. Through the health services department the emergency preparedness and response team is prepared to attend to cases that may arise. Following the pronouncement of the cases in Victoria Falls and Harare so far, the teams are on high alert,” said Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, the council spokesperson.
Officials also said they were now considering turning Ekusileni Medical Centre into another coronavirus referral centre for the region as the only infections diseases centre Thorngrove was too small in case of a massive outbreak.
The option was tabled after the Bulawayo City Council said it was ill resourced physically and resource wise to handle cases at Thorngrove Infectious Disease Hospital. Thorngrove was built in 1941 and caters for Bulawayo, Midlands and the two rural Matabeleland provinces, the North and South.
A visit to the hospital last week revealed that the hospital can accommodate 17 patients in the isolation ward which can be stretched to a maximum of 30. Church leaders last week met Minister of State of Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Cde Judith Ncube to table the idea of increasing centres that will cater for patients.
The church leaders said Ekusileni that has been closed for more than 20 years should open its doors as a second referral centre in Bulawayo. In response, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Agnes Mahomva said Government was considering the proposal.
“It is very good to prepare for the inevitable. City Health in Bulawayo or Harare are supposed to be innovative and come up with suggestions on what they want to do then look at it together in terms of feasibility. If they are looking at Ekusileni, we will discuss around it and find a way forward,” she said.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Heath also toured facilities in Bulawayo last week to access preparedness and discovered that most hospitals were not readily equipped to deal with the coronavirus.
Sister Nomazulu Dlodlo, a staffer at Thorngrove Infectious Disease Centre said there was one patient who is under quarantine and under observation.
“We have one patient who is under isolation who came in on Monday and we do have several others who come thinking they have the virus but we have only admitted one so far,” she said without shedding more details about the patient.
Vincent PamireZIMBABWE Saints board chairman, Vincent Pamire says the 1988 Zimbabwean soccer champions are back for good as they have made concrete plans to ensure they do not slide back into oblivion again.
Pamire said they plotted their return since the beginning of last year and are confident they will manage to stay afloat.
He said they were aware they would need deep pockets on their return if they are to make an impact and ensure the “community” club does not sink again.
Scales have shifted in local football with traditional giants, in which category falls in, such as Dynamos and Highlanders struggling due to lack of financial resources with company-funded teams such as Chicken Inn, Ngezi Platinum Stars and FC Platinum taking over the show.
Pamire said they have learnt from their mistakes and have turned a new leaf in the revival of Chauya Chikwata.
Saints were first relegated from the top flight in 2006 before they made a return in 2011 after buying Chitungwiza-based Eagles’ franchise but their stay was short-lived as they were relegated the same year. Chikwata were booted out of the Zifa Southern Region Division One in 2016 after failing to pay affiliation fees and not fulfilling three consecutive fixtures.
“Young people approached us and asked to run the club, convincing us they wanted us to rest and they were able to effectively run the club but unfortunately that was not to be.
“They got the club booted out from the league and then failed to run the Sports Club we had handed over to them. We believe we should have closely supervised them and guided them, which is what we are going to do now,” said Pamire.
He said they were relying on funding from supporters and well-wishers but there were entities willing to partner the club for the long run although he was not at liberty to name them.
Pamire said the fact they had managed to pay affiliation fees of $30 000 in full was a sign they are serious about their return and intent on staying afloat.
He said they had several players training the whole of last year but would be beefing up their squad and technical team.
“For us the suspension of the league due to the coronavirus is a blessing in disguise as it gives us ample time to scout for players and further prepare for the season. Any coach and player worth his name would not have come to Saints had we approached them before paying our affiliation fees in full and for us that act was to convince people that we are serious and they can come join us.
“We are not going to hire a coach because he once played for Zimbabwe Saints, no, we are going for someone who knows what he is doing and will ensure that we achieve our goals of getting into the Premiership,” added Pamire.
Saints produced national team players such as Joseph Machingura, Agent Sawu, Muzondiwa Mugadza, Ronald Sibanda, Henry McKop, Ephraim Chawanda, Gibson Homela, John Sibanda, Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo among others.
Zimbabweans breaking into South Africa after breaking through the old fence. Officials in Zimbabwe have reacted indifferently to South Africa’s announcement that it planned to erect a fence along the border with its neighbour as part of measures to stem irregular migration and contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
“Some people build durawalls around their houses, fields or properties and some put up fences. This is a choice people make on how to show their boundaries,” Nick Mangwana, spokesman for Zimbabwe’s government, told Al Jazeera on Friday.
“The type of demarcation they choose is their sovereign right. The same applies to international boundaries.”
His comments came as Zimbabwe on Friday confirmed its first case of COVID-19, the highly infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus. South Africa has reported 202 cases to date.
The planned 40km (25-mile) fence is to be erected on both sides of the Beitbridge Land Port of Entry to “ensure that no undocumented or infected persons cross into the country”, Patricia de Lille, South Africa’s public works minister, said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the move could not be viewed as xenophobic.
“At the border post now, you’ve got health inspectors and you’ve got environmental professionals and they are doing the testing and screening at the border. But if somebody just walks over the border, there are no such facilities,” she said.
Thousands of Zimbabweans have for years been entering South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised country, via undesignated and other points along the border to escape a deepening economic crisis at home.
With unemployment hovering around 30 percent, South Africa has long been meaning to reduce what it perceives as irregular migration from Zimbabwe and a threat to local jobs – but it has been hesitant to take bold action on the issue.
Zimbabweans interviewed by Al Jazeera in the capital, Harare, were unperturbed by South Africa’s announcement.
“I don’t think there is a problem if they [South Africa] are trying to ensure that people use designated border points to enter,” Anesu Gutsa said.
“I think we will have a problem when they close the border completely to us. Should the border be closed, that could affect Zimbabweans in a big way. We rely on South Africa products as a country.”
In recent weeks, an increasing number of countries have been tightening controls at borders, or outright sealing them off, as well as banning travel from certain countries in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 271,000 people worldwide have been confirmed as having contracted the coronavirus and 11,280 have died, according to figures by Johns Hopkins University. Some 87,000 people have recovered.
The outbreak reached Africa later than other continents, but almost 40 countries have now confirmed cases.
In Zimbabwe, fears are rising that the country could descend into crisis amid a major outbreak owing to a lack of preparedness and a collapsing healthcare system. The country’s nurses and doctors have been striking since last year.
Zimbabwe’s economy plunged in the aftermath of its controversial land reform exercise at the turn of the new millennium to correct what the government of the late Robert Mugabe viewed as historical imbalances on land ownership.
Norman Matara, secretary of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, expressed dissatisfaction over the country’s COVID-19 preparedness, saying only 16 people have been tested to date.
Commenting on South Africa’s announcement, Matara said its decision “could be informed by the fact that there are no diagnostic kits at Beitbridge border post”.
“By limiting people coming into the country, the South African government is trying to protect their own people. That is the mandate of any government.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS
Deputy Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Edgar MoyoTHE early closure of schools for the first term will not change the rest of the school calendar unless there are other circumstances that might need to realign it.
The Government last week announced that schools and tertiary institutions will close on Tuesday, a week-and-a-half early for schools as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus (Covid-19). Parents and teachers are worried that the early closure of schools might affect the school calendar and pupils especially those who are writing in June and the Grade Seven public examinations.
Deputy Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Edgar Moyo told said that all the school programmes have not yet changed but Government will assess the situation and make appropriate announcements if need be.
“What only changed is the closing of schools, the other programmes are still on course. The opening date remains unchanged despite that we have closed early. Changes will only emanate depending on the circumstances that will be there when we are opening.”
Moyo said the decision to close schools early was taken in line with the directive to prohibit gatherings of people that exceed 100.
SUSPENSION OF ALL MDC PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES
To: All Leaders
:Members
:Staff Members
You all hereby informed that, after serious assessment and careful consideration of the current situation in the country, as regards the COVID 19 global pandemic, the Party has suspended all it’s activities and programmes.
The suspension is with immediate effect.
For avoidance of doubt, this move includes NSC, NEC and National Council meetings that were set for this week as well.
Position on Party staff
All MDC workers are advised to work from home except a small core unit that will be individually advised to report for work.
Further, the Party shall make special arrangements for the safe movement of all such core staff so as to ensure their health and safety during the execution of their work occasioned by the exigencies of their respective duties.
Hon. Chalton Hwende
Secretary General
By Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe, MP Harare West
The people’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa has encouraged us the elected officials to raise awareness on Coronavirus in our communities.
It is our responsibility as leaders to spread awareness about #COVIDー19.
Myself and ward 16 Clr Denford Ngadziore visited our disabled friends @ Paraplegic centre in Mabelreign to hear from them on what measures they are taking to prevent the virus.
We also donated walkers, food hampers and soap for them to wash their hands.
Let’s remember to wash our hands all the time please!! We also took time to visit the vendors at Mabelreign shops to raise awareness on #Covid19. #ZimLoc
An entire carehome had to be shut down after a care worker just arrived from Zimbabwe tested positive to coronavirus, COVID-19.
The New Zealand-Herald reports how:
Ellerslie Gardens Lifecare is now in lockdown after the female staff member, a Zimbabwean, tested positive for Covid-19.
Family members whose relatives may have been in contact with a carer who was on duty on March 15 and 16 have been contacted by phone.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Relatives of all 80 family members have been sent an email advising them of the situation and the 48-hour lockdown.
Heritage Lifecare Group chief executive Norah Barlow, quoted by the paper, confirmed the worker had returned from Zimbabwe on March 10 and due to there being no travel restrictions or self-isolation rules in place, she returned to work on March 15 for her night shift.
Barlow said the worker then phoned her manager and advised that she had a headache. She was told to stay home and seek medical advice, which she did.
She was tested for Covid-19 and her results came back positive yesterday. – READ MORE HERE
ZANU PF legislator for Gwanda North, Madoda Sibanda has survived attempts to suspend him from the party over the party regalia that was allegedly found dumped in his constituency.
Party insiders told The Standard that a provincial leadership meeting was convened to investigate the matter.
One of the insiders said:
It is at the meeting that Sibanda’s rivals started pushing for his suspension, but the push to suspend him did not sail through.
Interestingly, after further investigation, it was uncovered that the regalia was instead not at Sibanda’s constituency, but in Gwanda Central after further checks on constituency boundaries.
The meeting reportedly observed that Sibanda was a victim of factional fights in the province, with those reportedly angling for his constituency allegedly behind the incident that happened over two weeks ago.
Sibanda confirmed the matter saying that the regalia was not found in his constituency. He however but refused to comment further.-The Standard
Former Real Madrid Boss Succumbs To Coronavirus
Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz has died due to Coronavirus.
Sanz who was 76 years old at the time of his death, died on Saturday after contracting the dangerous epidemic, which the world is struggling to contain.
Los Blancos announced the death of their former president via a statement on their website.
”Real Madrid C. F., the club president and Board of Directors all wish to express the deepest regret at the passing of Lorenzo Sanz, who was club president of Real Madrid from 1995 to 2000.
The club wishes to convey its condolences to his wife Mari Luz, his children, Lorenzo, Francisco, Fernando, María Luz (Malula) and Diana, as well as his family and friends. Our condolences are shared by all madridistas.”
Sanz was in charge of the club from 1995 to 2000 before being succeeded by the current chief Florentino Perez.-Soccer 24
Dynamos have given an update on Partson Jaure who was involved a nasty car crash in Harare on Sunday morning.
The player was travelling in his Toyota Runx car when he veered off the road and crashed.
He suffered no life-threatening injuries, according to a statement issued by the club on Facebook.
“Jaure is being attended to, he is stable. No life-threatening injury at initial assessment,” the statement reads.
The car in which Partson Jaure was travelling in veered off the road and crashed.
“No fractured limbs, he is undergoing a CT scan of the head now to assess potential fracture of the skull and mandible. Generally, he is stable.”
The incident comes at a time clubs are preparing for the 2020 season which is expected to start anytime soon.-Soccer 24
See below an update on Jaure’s injury :
The CT Scan result are out, and as feared have confirmed a skull fracture and head injury. Jaure has now been admitted at Pari Hospital.
Let’s pray for his quick recovery
Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has tested positive for coronavirus in China.
The Belgian announced the news on Social media on Sunday. He is currently under isolation at Jinan hospital.
“Dear friends, I have been tested for coronavirus and my test result is positive,” Fellaini wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to the fans, medical staff and the club for their care and attention.
“I will follow the treatment and hope to return to the game as soon as possible. Please, everyone, stay safe.”
Fellaini is currently playing for Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng which he joined in January 2019.
Other football stars that have contracted the virus of late include Juventus forward Paulo Dybala and AC Milan attacker Daniel Maldini.-Soccer 24
Coronavirus Alert:Keep your hands clean always(see chart below)
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Zimbabweans aboard a cross border bus reportedly harassed a Chinese National whom they accused of avoiding airlines due to the stringent coronavirus testing process.
In the video below, a woman is heard shouting to the bus crew not to allow the Chinese national into the bus as it was dangerous for them.
MDC leader urges nation to unite in the battle against Coronavirus…
Self-distancing might be a little less hard to deal with now that DStv has made five extra channels available to packages all the way down to Access.
These include new channel Africanews (channel 417), CNN (channel 401), Da Vinci (channel 318), Nickelodeon (channel 305) and SuperSport 7 (channel 207).
What’s more, some of the channels that feature on online streaming service DStv Now will be accessible to everyone – DStv customer or not.
This incredible service is to ensure that the whole country has easy access to accurate information about COVID-19.
The great thing is that DStv Now can be accessed from your smartphone, tablet, smart TV or laptop.
The channels that can be viewed for free are: BBC World News; CNN; Sky News; eNCA; SABC News; Newzroom Afrika and Euronews. In addition, you will be able to view People’s Weather; SuperSport Play; PBS Kids; Channel O and TBN, as well as episodes of some of South Africa’s best-loved soapies for free, including Igazi, The River, Isibaya, Binnelanders, Suidooster and Die Ware Naarheid.
-News24
By Jane Mlambo| Government spokesperson and permanent secretary in the ministry of information, Nick Mangwana has bemoaned the church’s defiance of aban on public gatherings of more than 100 warning that such actions will result to devastating deaths if people continue to do so.
President Emmerson Mangagwa last week issued a ban of any gathering with people numbering over 100.
“A quick survey around town shows a lot of religious activity above 100 people . Let’s be responsible, tinopera. Tigoenda Gehena futi!” Mangwana warned through his Twitter account.
By A Correspondent- Zupcohas announced that it is set to increase local travel bus fares to from $1 to $2 effective tomorrow.
Said a notice from ZUPCO:
“WE WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE THAT ZUPCO FARES ARE INCREASING WITH EFFECT FROM TOMORROW 23 MARCH 2020. BUS FROM $1 TO $2 AND COMBI FROM $2 TO $4.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT”
By A Correspondent- Nigeria on Wednesday issued a travel ban on citizens from 13 countries worst-hit by coronavirus.
The announcement came as authorities confirmed five new virus cases, bringing to eight the number so far tested positive in Africa’s most populous nation of 200 million people.
The government said on Twitter it “is restricting entry into the country for travellers from… China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, US, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Switzerland. These are all countries with over 1,000 cases domestically.
Nigeria said issuance of visas would be suspended to nationals of these nations, and Nigerians arriving from these countries would be quarantined for 14 days. It also advised Nigerians to avoid travelling to the affected countries.
It said the restrictions would come into effect from Saturday and could be reviewed after a month. The central bank announced further measures to bolster the country’s economy, which is heavily dependent on oil exports, as the price of oil plummeted over fears the virus could lead to a global recession.
Nigeria has also banned government officials from travelling out of the country until further notice. The government has suspended a major national sports event, advised against public gatherings and stressed the need for public hygiene to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had already approved a $135-million fund to support businesses hit by impacts of the virus. In addition, the bank said it would give double that amount to the country’s health authorities, “to ensure laboratories, researchers and innovators work with global scientists to patent and or produce vaccines and test kits in Nigeria.”
“Given the continuing impact of the disease on global supply chains,” the bank said, it would also release one trillion naira ($2.7 billion) to help boost “all critical sectors of the economy”.
The petroleum ministry said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved reducing prices at petrol pumps. -Online
By A Correspondent- As a precautionary measure, the government has ordered that all schools in the country, to include tertiary institutions, will close on Tuesday, March 24.
In a statement, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said:
“Government has thought it prudent to err on the side of caution, more so in respect of teaching institutions where human concentration and contact is expectedly high”.
He said the decision is part of the general precautionary measures the country is taking in light of the worldwide outbreak and rapid spread of the coronavirus.
IF YOU or your doctor suspects you may have COVID-19 (Coronavirus) infection, follow the advice below until your doctor or the public health unit advises that you no longer need to be in isolation.
Whilst you wait for your results, if your illness gets worse, you should call the doctor who cared for you or the emergency department where you were assessed.
If it is a medical emergency (e.g. shortness of breath at rest or difficulty breathing) you should call Ministry of Health and Child Care on 0774 112 531.
Tell the ambulance staff you are suspected to have COVID-19.
You should restrict your activities outside your home, except for seeking medical care. You should not go to work, school/childcare/university, the gym, or public areas, and should not use public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares, until cleared by your doctor.
If you are sharing the home with others, as much as possible, you should:
Make sure that you do not share a room with people who are at risk of severe disease, such as elderly people and those who have heart, lung or kidney conditions, and diabetes.
People who do not have an essential need to be in the home should not visit while you are in isolation.
You should wear a surgical mask when you are in the same room with other people (even if they are also in isolation) and when you visit a healthcare provider.
Make sure your surgical mask covers your nose and mouth at all times, and avoid touching your mask unnecessarily.
You should cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve/elbow. Used tissues should be placed in a bin, and hands immediately washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
You should wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if your hands are not visibly dirty.
Ensure you wash your hands or use a hand sanitiser:
You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people in your home.
After using these items, you should wash them thoroughly with soap and water or use a dishwasher/washing machine.
If you have been tested for COVID-19 and the result was negative you must still remain in isolation if:
If you develop additional symptoms or your current symptoms get worse please call your doctor, or the emergency department, where you were assessed.
If you were referred by the Health team at the airport for COVID-19 testing and tested negative for COVID-19, then you may continue your journey directly to your home/hotel using public transport, taxis or ride-sharing, or continue on onward flights.
However, you must wear a surgical mask while travelling. Upon arriving at your home/hotel you must isolate yourself as outlined above.
You no longer need to remain in isolation if your COVID-19 test is negative and:
IF YOU ARE UNSURE, CONTACT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE ON 0774 112 531.
There should only be people in the home who are essential for providing care for the person who is under isolation and those who cannot find alternative accommodation.
Caregivers and household members should follow the below advice to reduce their risk of infection.
Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if your hands are not visibly dirty.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Always wash your hands before putting on and after taking off gloves and masks.
Wear a surgical mask and disposable gloves when you are in the same room as the person with suspected infection, or when you touch or have contact with the person’s blood, body fluids and/or secretions, such as sweat, saliva, sputum, nasal mucus, vomit, urine, or diarrhoea.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces, such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables, at least once a day wearing disposable gloves. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, body fluids and/or secretions or excretions on them.
ALSO ON ZIMVOICE:Zimbabwe to deport travellers from coronavirus-hit countries
Place all used disposable gloves, surgical masks, and other contaminated items in a lined waste bin before disposing of them with other household waste. Wash your hands immediately after handling these items.
Being in home isolation can be frightening, particularly for young children. We’ve put together some tips for coping:
Call the Ministry of Health and Child Care on 0774 112 531.
By A Correspondent- Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz died on Saturday after being hospitalised with coronavirus.
Sanz, 76, was president at the Bernabeu from 1995-2000, a period in which Real won the Champions League twice.
“My father has just died,” wrote Sanz’s son Lorenzo Sanz Duran on Twitter. He did not deserve this end in this manner. One of the best, most courageous and hard-working people I have seen in my life. His family and Real Madrid were his passion.
Sanz signed players such as Roberto Carlos, Clarence Seedorf and Davor Suker during his time in charge of the 33-time Spanish champions
He lost the 2000 presidential election to Florentino Perez, which sparked Real’s big-spending ‘Galatico’ era. Sanz’s son Fernando, 46, played for Real Madrid from 1996-1999 before spending the final seven years of his career at Malaga.-Online
Despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa banning government officials from travelling outside the country, his immediate deputy Constantino Chiwenga was airlifted to China as his health woes resurfaced.
The Vice President was airlifted to the coronavirus-hit nation on Sunday after his health took a turn for the worse.
According to online publication, Zimlive.com, Chiwenga left Harare shortly after mid-day Sunday on a Dubai-registered private jet, a Boeing 737-7AK (BBJ), which is regularly used by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The President even uses the same private plane when he is travelling locally.
However, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba downplayed the event saying that it was just a routine medical checkup. Charamba told the publication,
“I can confirm that the vice president left for China for his medical check-up. Obviously, we can’t say how long that will take because that will depend on what experts say. But he is out of the country.”
Chiwenga had not been seen in public for the two weeks leading up to his flight from China. The vice president’s absence from the public eye had sent tongues wagging with some quarters opining that this signalled a major fallout between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa, who have long been speculated to have a tense relationship.
Chiwenga missed the monthly national clean-up exercise on March 6, when he was due to officiate in Mvurwi. This was followed up by the Vice President missing the national field day held at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Pricabe Farm in Kwekwe where he was supposed to be guest of honour. Chiwenga was supposed to be the guest of honour at the event, but this honour was later given to Minister of Defence and War Veterans Oppah Muchinguri.
However, Charamba denied reports on any fallout over the weekended, dismissing the allegations as nonsense. He said that Chiwenga was absent because he was not feeling well and had been ordered to rest by his doctors.
“He was not feeling too well and he wanted a bit of rest. That’s the real issue. Speculation that there’s bad blood between him and the president… is nonsense,” Charamba said.
Vice President Chiwenga spent more than four months in China last year getting treated for an undisclosed ailment which he claimed would have certainly killed him if it was not for the intervention of the Chinese. There was speculation that Chiwenga may have got sick after being poisoned. At one point he was being attended to by medical experts from Zimbabwe, South Africa, India and China.
There has been speculation, that the Vice President was a victim of a poisoning plot, to rule him out of the succession race. Only last month, there were reports that Chiwenga was collapsed in his office and had to be airlifted to South Africa, because of the risk of the deadly coronavirus in China. The fact that Chiwenga has been airlifted to China in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic indicates that he may be facing a medical emergency.
-Online
By A Correspondent- Former Higher, Tertiary, Science and Technology deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa has said the proper application of the rule of law in the country will boast the country’s economy through establishment of the multi billion dollar industries.
His remarks come at a time when the country’s economic free fall is blamed on bad policies that are viewed as gross violation of the rule of law and rights.
“Zimbabwe has it all. Gold, platinum, lithium, diamonds, gas, chrome and at least 50 other minerals are to be found in abundance. Establishing the rule of law, property rights and policy consistency will transform our mining sector into a multi-billion dollar industry,” Gandawa said.
“Beneficiation should not be compelled by force of law but through economic incentives. Where value should be added, it is the role of govt to legislatively engineer such economic incentives which include the right of first refusal for first-mover value addition operators.”
He said once feed supply is guaranteed, it will be fairly easy to persuade processors into the country, in the process creating jobs and additional value.
“This cannot be done when a govt changes policy every few months. Instability is our great challenge. While large scale mining projects are welcome, there is a need to promote small-scale mining which has the potential to give birth to a new generation of millionaires. Govt must work to empower and professionalise the industry,” he said.-B24yo
By A Correspondent- Former Zanu PF cabinet Minister Walter Mzembi has urged the Chairperson of Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Busisa Moyo to ban ZANU PF from exhibiting at the prestigious platform.
Posting on Twitter, Mzembi said:
“I pray your first act is to rebrand ZITF, long overdue,and& send Zanu PF packing , it has no business being part of this exhibition , and commandeering prizes to itself , if you succeed on just this one you will be my hero !”
Mzembi asked Moyo to be strict on government departments who were using the platform as a means of siphoning money from government through allowances.
“Secondly there are many defunct State Enterprises, which have long stopped performing their statutory mandates that carry huge delegations to ZITF just for prizes , bring this up through PAC they too must come under scrutiny.
“Third is Government Departments clearly with no mandate in trading or promoting anything that close shop for two weeks , burn fuel , air tickets , hotel accommodation and stipends in wasteful sojourns unrelated to ZITF , make this exhibition a business one.”
Busisa Moyo is adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
In 2019, ZANU PF won he Best Zimbabwean Exhibit and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), awards at the exhibition and in 2018 it also won the Best Exhibitor’s award.
During the run up to the 2018 elections, the party spent nearly $500 000 setting up a stand at ZITF to recruit and register about 100 000 new supporters .
The party started exhibiting at the ZITF in 2015.
By A Correspondent- A suspected Guruve thief was bashed to death on Thursday by an angry mob while his accomplice is battling for life at Guruve hospital.
Onismo Muzika (16) of Muzika village Guruve died on the spot after an angry mob allegedly meted instant justice on him after he broke into tuckshop where he stole 83 can spirits and a packet of zapnax with his accomplice George Chaurika.
Chaurika is currently battling for life in hosptital, the duo was assaulted using wires, wooden sticks and unknown sharp objects.
According to Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe they have managed to arrest one suspect Grace Chihota (56) of Gezi village in connection with the murder case.
“I can confirm that we have arrested Chihota in connection with the murder case, three more suspects are at large,”Mundembe said.
Witnesses allege the duo broke into Monica Kondo’s (42) shop and stole can spirits which they drank with a pack of zapnax.
The suspected thieves were caught by Chihota who teamed up with other villagers and tired the duo with a wire before assaulting them heavily.
“The duo was assaulted by Chihota and other villagers and were left motionless. Muzika died on the spot while Chaurika was rushed to Guruve hospital when he was unconscious,” said a witness.
The police have warned people not to take the law into their hands as that will put them into serious trouble.
“We are warning members of the public not to take the law into their own hands as that will land them into trouble when the wrath of law descends on them,” Mundembe said.
“People should shun violence and complanaint should report to the police station for justice to prevail.”-Byo24
By A Correspondent- Chinese milling company based in Glendale has forced their workers to stay at the mine for 3 days in fear of the spread of Corona Virus.
Some workers were temporarily suspended from work for two months after they went out of the mine yard.
The company general manager only identified as Neyma or “Bigger boss” said they conducted a meeting with their workers who volunteered to stay at the mine in a bid to avoid mixing with different people who might be contaminated with Coronavirus.
“We put this preparatory measure as a was of minimizing the spread of the pandemic our workers volunteered as you have heard in South Africa the disease is already wrecking havoc so we do not want these workers to bring the virus here,”he said.
Quizzed on why the company suspended some of its workers Neymar said they will come back when the management decides on their fate.
“The management will decide on that matter but we did not fire them as alleged they are on suspension even the president of this country called for the closure of colleges and schools so our case is not a special one.”
Workers who spoke to this publication bemoaned the move and regarded it as abusive.
“We are being abused by these Chinese how can they put us in curfew yet the disease is wrecking havoc in their country not ours for the past three days we are being forced to sleep in a workshop and we are so crowded,”said one worker who declined to be named.
Another worker said he was suspended after he told the management that he wanted to have time with his family.
“I was suspended from work because l requested to see my family and they told me to choose between work and family so l decided to go to my family so this is an abuse,” lamented another worker.
Concession district medical officer Rachel Sosera said they have not recorded any case of Corona Virus in the district and she is not aware why the company has put that measure.
“We have not recorded any case of Corona Virus in our district so we are not aware why that company has put that measure,” Sosera said.-Byo24
By A Correspondent- The office of the Auditor-General has unearthed serious administrative issues at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) the local power utility.
The audit which was part of forensic audit findings by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) commissioned by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) in 2018 also observed malpractices at ZESA subsidiaries including ZETDC.
The audit reveals that ZETDC paid Zebra Contracting over US$1,4 million for trenching services when no valid contract existed between the ZETDC and Zebra Contracting.
PwC reported that Zebra did not have a copper harvesting contract but was awarded a year-long trenching services contract in 2016 and it was subject to renewal in line with procurement regulations.
PwC said:
However, when we inspected the list of transactions entered into by ZETDC with Zebra, we noted that there were transactions dating back to the year 2013.
The audit also observed gross violation of multimillion-dollar tenders which included the Dema diesel power project, prepaid electricity vending contract, transformer making deal with India’s PME Solutions, as well as abuse of Zesa’s vehicle policy and remuneration systems.
ZESA top officials are also reportedly leading luxurious lives when the power utility is reportedly broke.-Statemedia
By A Correspondent- Load shedding is expected to intensify following a break down at the country’s largest thermal power station in Hwange.
2 units in Hwange reportedly broke down yesterday knocking out 250MW off the national grid. This was revealed by the Energy Minister yesterday who spoke to the publication after a meeting with petroleum industry players and said:
Over the past weeks, there has been a general upward improvement in the supply of electricity so the trend is going to continue. However, we have had two units in Hwange that have broken down.
We are very hopeful that they are brought back online as soon as possible. Thereafter, we are targeting the time around June to completely do away with load shedding.-DailyNews
It is regrettable that we have somewhat regressed in the past few days but I believe we are completely on top of the situation,
Electricity has been in short supply in Zimbabwe due to the 2019 drought that left Kariba unable to generate enough power.
The Chinese television station, CGTN says 502 people are being monitored for Coronavirus and the Chinese embassy has told its own citizens not to travel to Zimbabwe. VIDEO:
By A Correspondent- Some Chinese nationals were reportedly turned away at OR Tambo and went to Mozambique.
They were yesterday reportedly seen at Komatipoort Border Post which is between South Africa and Mozambique intending to enter into South by road.
This comes as South Africa is intensifying efforts to combat the novel coronavirus which emerged in China in December last year.
South Africa has the highest number of confirmed cases of the virus on the continent.
See the picture below….
By A Correspondent- Love appeared at the right age in the life of musician Tongai Gwaze (27) popularly known as Greatman with his perfect match Silibaziso Masara (24).
The love birds first met in the heart of the Central Business District of Harare at corner Julius Nyerere and Robson Manyika streets.
When love reigns, no one will be able to separate the two. People can talk whatever they like but for a heavenly made match, negative words can strengthen the bond between the love birds. Somehow it is more like adding fuel to the flame of love.
It was at the corner symbolising that Greatman’s marriage life was around the corner. As a busy man, he was singing to his audience some melodies which stroke Silibaziso’s heart on the tenderest spot.
In an interview with Saturday Herald Lifestyle, Greatman said they first met in the CBD about nine months back when he was doing what God sent him to do, music and was attracted by Silibaziso’s beauty.
“I first saw her in the CBD when I was singing and dismally failed to contain myself and kept on staring at her. “I tried to concentrate with my work but I kept on staring at her, it was love at first sight,” said Greatman.
His wife confirmed that. Greatman was given ten miles ahead close to winning Silibaziso’s heart due to the fact that, she was already in love with his music.
Eventually, the two exchanged phone numbers and started chatting the very day. Silibaziso kept on following him where he was performing as usual since she was one of Greatman’s biggest fans.-Online
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono has reportedly been marked by Facebook after he allegedly posted false information on the platform.
This was revealed by Twitter-based ZANU PF activist known as Mmatigari. Posting on Twitter, Matigari said:
Breaking News Facebook flags Mbudziyadhura Hopewell Chin’ono for publishing & spreading fake news & falsehoods. Criminal behaviour.
The alleged development comes at a time when the abuse of social media in Zimbabwe has intensified recently.
Resultantly, the government has been urging members of the public to rely on official information for updates on the novel coronavirus.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF regalia bearing the face of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly been dumped at Gwanda North constituency, resulting in a push to suspend the area legislator.
Gwanda North legislator Madodana Sibanda faced accusations of being responsible for “dumping-Zanu PF-regalia”, but survived attempts to suspend him from the party.
It, however, emerged that Sibanda was a victim of factional fights in the province, with those reportedly angling for his constituency allegedly behind the incident that happened over two weeks ago.
It is understood a team of investigators led by Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister Abednico Ncube and Gwanda Central legislator Patrick Dube uncovered the dumped regalia, resulting in the holding of an urgent provincial meeting to discuss the matter.
“It is at the meeting that Sibanda’s rivals started pushing for his suspension, but the push to suspend him did not sail through,” a party insider said.
“Interestingly, after further investigation, it was uncovered that the regalia was instead not at Sibanda’s constituency, but in Gwanda Central after further checks on constituency boundaries.”
Sibanda, when contacted for comment, confirmed the regalia was found in Gwanda Central but refused to comment further.
“It was not in my constituency, but Gwanda Central, I have not been summoned,” he said. “ I have not heard anything of that nature. I have no comment.”
Zanu PF Matabeleland South chairperson Rabelani Choeni also refused to comment while Ncube was unreachable on his mobile phones.
Dennis Ndlovu, the deputy commissar for the province, said: “I cannot comment over the phone,” before promising to visit Sunday Southern Eye offices on Friday.
It is understood the youth league fought in Sibanda’s corner, but its chairperson Washington Nkomo was not forthcoming when requested to comment on the matter on Friday.
Late last year, Nkomo survived a vote of no confidence after he was fingered in a US$12 000 extortion scam involving a Shangaani miner using Mnangagwa’s name, resulting in the arrest of four party members.-Online
Despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa banning government officials from travelling outside the country, his immediate deputy Constantino Chiwenga was airlifted to China as his health woes resurfaced.
The Vice President was airlifted to the coronavirus-hit nation on Sunday after his health took a turn for the worse.
According to online publication, Zimlive.com, Chiwenga left Harare shortly after mid-day Sunday on a Dubai-registered private jet, a Boeing 737-7AK (BBJ), which is regularly used by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The President even uses the same private plane when he is travelling locally.
However, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba downplayed the event saying that it was just a routine medical checkup. Charamba told the publication,
“I can confirm that the vice president left for China for his medical check-up. Obviously, we can’t say how long that will take because that will depend on what experts say. But he is out of the country.”
Chiwenga had not been seen in public for the two weeks leading up to his flight from China. The vice president’s absence from the public eye had sent tongues wagging with some quarters opining that this signalled a major fallout between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa, who have long been speculated to have a tense relationship.
Chiwenga missed the monthly national clean-up exercise on March 6, when he was due to officiate in Mvurwi. This was followed up by the Vice President missing the national field day held at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Pricabe Farm in Kwekwe where he was supposed to be guest of honour. Chiwenga was supposed to be the guest of honour at the event, but this honour was later given to Minister of Defence and War Veterans Oppah Muchinguri.
However, Charamba denied reports on any fallout over the weekended, dismissing the allegations as nonsense. He said that Chiwenga was absent because he was not feeling well and had been ordered to rest by his doctors.
“He was not feeling too well and he wanted a bit of rest. That’s the real issue. Speculation that there’s bad blood between him and the president… is nonsense,” Charamba said.
Vice President Chiwenga spent more than four months in China last year getting treated for an undisclosed ailment which he claimed would have certainly killed him if it was not for the intervention of the Chinese. There was speculation that Chiwenga may have got sick after being poisoned. At one point he was being attended to by medical experts from Zimbabwe, South Africa, India and China.
There has been speculation, that the Vice President was a victim of a poisoning plot, to rule him out of the succession race. Only last month, there were reports that Chiwenga was collapsed in his office and had to be airlifted to South Africa, because of the risk of the deadly coronavirus in China. The fact that Chiwenga has been airlifted to China in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic indicates that he may be facing a medical emergency.
-Online
US President Donald Trump did not act fast against Coronavirus, a former White House Ebola Response Coordinator says. VIDEO:
By A Correspondent- Load-shedding is expected to significantly ease within the next three months as the country is close to settling its debt with South Africa’s Eskom — one of the country’s major power suppliers — while payments to Mozambique continues, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking to Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN), Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi said the country intends to unlock additional power from both Eskom and Cahora Bassa of Mozambique.
“Yes, we are making them (payments) religiously. We have reduced the debt to about US$4 million thereabout. We are also working on further reducing our indebtedness to Mozambique,” said Minister Chasi. It is believed that as the country progressively reduces its debt to regional power suppliers, its creditworthiness, which makes it able to purchase additional electricity, is also improving.
“. . . it is going to be pivoted on us having to be creditworthy and the first step is to make sure that you pay your bills and that is what we are doing.”
Minister Chasi also indicated that refurbishments of Hwange Thermal Power Station are nearing completion. “We have a number of units in Hwange which should be finalised in the next month or two,” he said.
However, work on expanding the thermal power station is being held back by the current coronavirus outbreak, as restrictions on global movements are also affecting experts working on the power plant.
Ecuador: Police Block Runway With Cars To Prevent Plane From Landing
Police cars and hundreds of police officials blockaded the Ecuador airport runway to stop international flights from landing after they were banned.
Emergency service workers fortified the Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International airport so that no planes from Europe land amid the coronavirus outbreak.
According to reports in Daily Mail, Guayaquil city mayor Cynthia Viteri reportedly ordered police to block the tarmac.
A video of the runway shows dozens of security vehicles parked on the runway making it impossible for aircraft to land.
However it was believed that the blockade was undertaken to stop landing of an Iberia Airbus A340 from Madrid and a KLM Boeing 777 from Amsterdam on the country’s runway.
Later local media reported the planes landed in Quito with only crew members on-board after reportedly been sent to Ecuador to pick up their citizens in the country.
An investigation into the incident was initiated with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works slamming the Guayaquil City Council for clamping down on air travel.
Ecuador has registered 168 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and three deaths.
“What’s wrong with calling it a Chinese Govt virus, when it’s clear COVID-19 is both (1) a Chinese Institutional Failure & a (2) a Biological Disease? If we called the Spanish Flu 1918 what it was,is it racism of China that’s infecting Africa with its control concepts that kill more people?”
Amos Chibaya Correspondent|Nelson Chamisa led Movement For Democratic Change -Alliance (MDC-A) which has been plotting a series of protests to force President Emerson Mnangagwa out has called off its planned anti-government demonstrations in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus in Zimbabwe.
Chamisa and his lieutenants have been holding meetings with party structures to organise protests to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the negotiating table.
Amos Chibaya, the MDC organising secretary, said the party’s provincial youth conferences that were supposed to be rolled out countrywide as part of a mobilisation strategy ahead of the “final push” had since been shelved.
“We had started some programmes, but now we are putting them on hold,” he said.
“However, it does not mean we are giving up in our fight against the dictatorship. We just want to allow the coronavirus to pass..
“As you are well aware, the people’s president Nelson Chamisa launched the Zimbabwe Lock Out Coronavirus programme otherwise known as the #Zim-lock campaign as part of our contributions to fight against the coronavirus.
“So, we are suspending party meetings until further notice.”
Chibaya said for now the party would play its part in ensuring that Zimbabweans were aware of the coronavirus and help prevent a deadly outbreak.
“We urge the nation to take all the safety precautions, including practicing hygiene wherever you are, and also urge family members to do the same,” he said.
“We will continue to give direction on the way forward in terms of our journey for change in this country.”
Besides the MDC, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has also been mobilising for a “national shutdown”s to protest against the falling standards of living.
Mnangagwa last week declared a a state of national disaster and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.
He also announced a number of other measures to stop the spread of the disease. Zimbabwe has two confirmed cases of coronavirus so far.
ZANU PF regalia bearing the face of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly been dumped at Gwanda North constituency, resulting in a push to suspend the area legislator.
Gwanda North legislator Madodana Sibanda faced accusations of being responsible for “dumping Zanu PF-regalia”, but survived attempts to suspend him from the party.
It, however, emerged that Sibanda was a victim of factional fights in the province, with those reportedly angling for his constituency allegedly behind the incident that happened over two weeks ago.
It is understood a team of investigators led by Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister Abednico Ncube uncovered the dumped regalia, resulting in the holding of an urgent provincial meeting to discuss the matter.
“It is at the meeting that Sibanda’s rivals started pushing for his suspension, but the push to suspend him did not sail through,” a party insider said.
“Interestingly, after further investigation, it was uncovered that the regalia was instead not at Sibanda’s constituency, but in Gwanda Central after further checks on constituency boundaries.”
Sibanda, when contacted for comment, confirmed the regalia was found in Gwanda Central but refused to comment further.
“It was not in my constituency, but Gwanda Central, I have not been summoned,” he said.
“I have not heard anything of that nature. I have no comment.”
Zanu PF Matabeleland South chairperson Rabelani Choeni also refused to comment while Ncube was unreachable on his mobile phones.
Dennis Ndlovu, the deputy commissar for the province, said: “I cannot comment over the phone,” before promising to visit Sunday Southern Eye offices on Friday.
It is understood the youth league fought in Sibanda’s corner, but its chairperson Washington Nkomo was not forthcoming when requested to comment on the matter on Friday.
Late last year, Nkomo survived a vote of no confidence after he was fingered in a US$12 000 extortion scam involving a Shangaani miner using Mnangagwa’s name, resulting in the arrest of four party members.
Lorenzo SanzOwn Correspondent|Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz died on Saturday after being hospitalised with coronavirus.
Sanz, 76, was president at the Bernabeu from 1995-2000, a period in which Real won the Champions League twice.
“My father has just died,” wrote Sanz’s son Lorenzo Sanz Duran on Twitter.
“He did not deserve this end in this manner. One of the best, most courageous and hard working people I have seen in my life. His family and Real Madrid were his passion.”
Sanz signed players such as Roberto Carlos, Clarence Seedorf and Davor Suker during his time in charge of the 33-time Spanish champions,
He lost the 2000 presidential election to Florentino Perez, which sparked Real’s big-spending ‘Galatico’ era.
Sanz’s son Fernando, 46, played for Real Madrid from 1996-1999 before spending the final seven years of his career at Malaga.
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has spent $7 million in conducting 27 by-elections since the 2018 Harmonised Elections, figures from the elections management body show.
Section 158 (3) of the Constitution provides for the conduct of a by-election for parliamentary and local authorities seats within 90 days after a vacancy occurs.
Regular by-elections exert unnecessary budgetary pressure on Treasury, and according to the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, they should either be harmonised and held bi-annually or scrapped altogether.
So far, four National Assembly by-elections have been conducted while the rest have been for local authority seats.
A total of 21 by-elections were conducted last year, while four local authority by-elections have already been conducted this year alone.
Responding to questions from The Sunday Mail, ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said: “Twenty-seven by-elections (have been conducted since 2018). The majority of challenges faced are limited resources as a result of financial constraints.”
In the TSP, Treasury proposes changes to the Constitution to allow for political parties to select replacements from within their ranks once a vacancy has occurred.
“The regular conduct of by-elections by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, in compliance with the constitutional provision, exerts budgetary and cashflow challenges,” reads the TSP in part.
“The Transitional Stabilisation Programme proposes amendment of the legislation to allow for either: the conduct of by-elections bi-annually resulting in the harmonisation of operations and costs; or instead of bi-annual elections, mandate political parties to select replacements, that way avoiding expenditures inherent in the processes of electing a new member.”
For the 2018 harmonised elections, ZEC was allocated US$153,9 million out of a bid of US$272 million, representing 56 percent of the commission’s budget.
Own Correspondent|Opposition MDC’s Rydes Machekera yesterday narrowly won the Chegutu ward 2 by election over a ZANU PF rival.
Machekera defeated Zanu PF’s Prosper Mutongerwa in the by-election after he polled 240 votes against Zanu-PF’s 184. This means the MDC polled just under 57% of the vote against Zanu-PF’s 43%, a close shave considering MDC’s stranglehold in urban areas.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chegutu district election officer, Godfrey Maisiri was the returning officer.
“Last time, we lost because some of our members had jumped ship to the People’s Rainbow Coalition which was led by Joice Mujuru and this time they are back in Zanu PF. Come March 22, ward 2 will have a new Zanu PF councillor,” he said last week, as Zanu-PF bigwigs descended on the ward to help give him support.
MDC chief election agent, Emson Mukandiwa, said that although it was a close shave, it was a happy moment for him and his team nevertheless.
“It’s a happy moment for the MDC family, as we fought hard to retain this seat. Many thanks to the team that put up a spirited campaign.
“We hope to increase our winning margins in the 2023 elections by working hard for the people. People of Chegutu ward 2 have shown confidence in Rydes Machekera who they want to be their Councillor, and also in the national leadership of president Nelson Chamisa.”
The seat fell vacant following the death of MDC councillor, Memory Banda in December last year.
New coronavirus infection may not show signs for many days and so therefore, it may not be known on time if a person is infected. But by the time one has a fever and / or cough and go to the hospital, the lungs are usually already in 50% fibrosis and it’s too late!
Health experts suggest doing a simple check that we can do on our own every morning.
Take a deep breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you successfully complete it without coughing, without discomfort or a sense of oppression, etc., It shows that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, indicating essentially no infection.
In this critical time, do this check every morning in a clean air environment!
These are serious and excellent advice from Chinese doctors who have treated COVID-19 cases.
Everyone should make sure that their mouth and throat are moist, never DRY. Drink a few sips of water at least every 15 minutes. WHY? Even if the virus gets into your mouth … water or other liquids will sweep it away through the esophagus and into the stomach. Once in the belly … The stomach gastric acid will kill all the virus. If you don’t drink enough water more regularly … the virus can get into your airways and lungs. It is very dangerous.
The office of the Prime Minister of Rwanda has announced a raft of measures meant to minimise or stop the spread and transmission of the coronavirus.
Some of the measures include buying commodities electronically and remotely; working from home; closure of borders; ban on travels between cities; ban on public transport; ban on restaurants and closure of shops and bars.
Read the full statement below.
REPUBLIC OF RWANDA
OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
ANNOUNCEMENT ON ENHANCED COVID-19 PREVENTION MEASURES Observing the global trend of the COVID-19 pandemic and considering the experiences of other countries, there is a clear need to take additional steps to ensure that COVID-19 does not spread further in Rwanda. Accordingly, the following measures will be in force beginning at 23:59 on Saturday, 21 March 2020, for an initial period of two (2) weeks.
Heightened vigilance, discipline, and cooperation are required from all of us in the weeks ahead.
Let’s work together to rein in this virus.
Kigali, 21 March 2020
Dr. NGIRENTE Edouard
Prime Minister