Zimbabwe lockdown necessary to save lives but………..

A hard lockdown imposed by Zimbabwe’s government in response to a spike in Covid-19 cases is a “drastic yet necessary intervention” to save lives, said ZANU-PF spokesperson Kennedy Mandaza, in South Africa today.

“Given the state of the health-care facilities, and the economic challenges in Zimbabwe, coupled with the desire to curb the spread of the virus to save lives, the decision taken by the government, though drastic, was necessary due to the unprecedented spike in the reported number of new infections and deaths due to Covid-19,” Mandaza said.

“Faced with the challenge that the government was experiencing, the government should be commended for taking that decision to save lives and reduce the spread of the Covid-19.”

Mandaza said multitudes of Zimbabweans living in South Africa had travelled back home for the festive season, before Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also health minister, announced the month-long restrictions on Saturday including an immediate 6pm to 6am curfew and a ban on inter-city travel.

From today, non-essential business activity has also been suspended across the country. Road cross-border traders have also been barred from travelling, save for commercial transport and transit cargo related to essential and critical services.

Chiwenga however said air travel was still allowed, with visitors and returning residents required to present certificates showing them to be free of Covid-19.

Mandaza appealed to the Harare government to allow the throngs of Zimbabweans who had travelled back home for the holidays to return to South Africa were millions live and work, mainly in the informal sector.

“In light of the challenges being faced by those who reside and work in South Africa, we appeal to our government to give them a safe passage through the borders as long as they have the requisite travel documents and Covid-19 free certificate, so that they can save their jobs and continue work and feed their families back home,” he said.

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