Zimbabwe, indeed, has one of the highest coronavirus rates in Africa as claimed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa, who was vaccinated last month, tweeted yesterday: “Zimbabwe’s #COVID19 vaccination programme is working! Zimbabwe has the 3rd highest rate of vaccinations in SADC and 8th highest in Africa as a share of the population. We cannot lose this momentum – if you are eligible, I urge you all to get your jab.”
Zimbabwe fact-checking organisation Zimfact, confirmed that the claim made by Mnangagwa was correct.
As of yesterday 205 275 Zimbabweans had received their first dose while 29 304 had been fully vaccinated.
Here is its brief:
In a Twitter post on April 12, 2021, urging Zimbabweans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, President Mnangagwa said:
“Zimbabwe has the third highest rate of vaccinations in SADC and 8th highest in Africa as a share of the population.”
What does the data say?
Statistics compiled from official sources by open data portal Our World in Data show that, as of April 11, 2021, 1,3% of Zimbabwe’s population had been vaccinated against COVID-19, giving the country the third highest inoculation rate in the southern African region, behind Seychelles with a continent-leading 65,6% and ESwatini, with 1,75%.
On a continental basis, Zimbabwe was indeed in eighth position, behind Seychelles, Morocco (12,12%), Sao Tome & Principe (4,44%), Rwanda (2,69%), Ghana (2,26%), Senegal (2,05%) and ESwatini.
Zimbabwe’s vaccination rate is currently ahead of countries such as Tunisia (1,21%)< Malawi (1,07%), Togo (1%), Equatorial Guinea (0,79%), Kenya (0,78%), Angola (0,75%), Botswana (0,55%) and South Africa (0,49%).
CONCLUSION:
Mnangagwa’s claim on Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 vaccination rates is rated correct at the time it was made.
(102 VIEWS)
