Zimbabwe legislator says MPs should be tested for coronavirus twice a week because covid-19 is real

The same as this Parliament, why can we not have a situation where we are tested monthly or twice a week because we do not know who is positive here. I say so because my own sister and Hon Member for Hurungwe West and Provincial Minister of State, Hon. Mary Chikoka was infected. It is through the grace of God that she survived. It was acute and in no time she was in ICU under incubation. It is a miracle for her to survive. I have learnt that only until it happens to somebody close to you, can you appreciate it. I am hoping that it does not happen to anybody close to you so that we protect ourselves.

The staff and the Ministry of Health must be commended. Our health professionals must be commended because they have gotten into that point understanding covid and as a result they are able to treat it. In that ICU unit, three people died. May we not be reckless with life to get to hospital? Let us not try to get to hospital because we are now more or less under people with a profession which we are not sure of. I say so Madam Speaker because we must take it seriously.

I see Ministers sitting close to each other and yet in the dedication of duty they are exposed– all of us as Members of Parliament are exposed with people. What assurance can we get in this institution that we are all safe? That is the reason why I am imploring your good office that as of tomorrow – because we do not want to go back home and infect our families, may we get tested so that we know our status and take the necessary remedies that ensure that we are okay and we do not spread it. COVID-19 is real. Once again condolences to the Munyaka family. She was dedicated to duty and other people in that profession too, want some assurance. How then are they going to be protected and so forth? COVID is real – unless and until somebody close to you gets it can you really understand it is there.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Once again thank you Hon. Mliswa. I have taken note of what you have said. I am going to look into it and at the same time I say our condolences to the Munyaka family, may her soul rest in peace. I thank you.

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Madam Speaker, before I go to my business of the day I want to thank Hon. Mliswa for the condolence message to the Munyaka family. She was indeed one of the finest journalists that we had. Covid is real.  Like Hon Mliswa said, his sister was hospitalised and taken into ICU. She had the courage to video-call me to show me how she was. She was coughing trying to speak and I ended up telling her to rest. I felt so bad and felt that we needed to do more than what we are doing. I think what he was saying is real. We need to take this seriously and ensure that we protect ourselves and the loved ones that are not with us in this august House. Those are the most vulnerable.

We interact with a lot of people and we go home to innocent spouses, children and relatives. I must say that I commend him for what he said that even ZBC, they need also to be proactive to ensure that the employees are taken care of and we ensure that we protect each other from this scourge of COVID-19. Having said that, I thank you for allowing me to digress a little bit.

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