President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday announced a lockdown for Zimbabwe and assigned the chairmanship of the COVID-19 task force to the Vice Presidency deputized by the Defence Ministry.
The country’s leader addressing the country, said the reports point to continued potential grave threats to Zimbabwe, thus requiring new preventative measures that will help lessen the risk to all people.
“Starting Monday 30 March 2020 and subject to further review, Zimbabwe will be under total lockdown for a period of 21 days,” he said.“This means all our citizens are required to stay at home, except of course in respect of essential movements related to seeking health services; to the purchase and procurement of food and medicines, and for other essential supplies and critical services.”
The lockdown exempt workers manning essential services, including health services and outlets, emergency and security services, as well as operation of key utilities like power and water.
“Only civil servants on duty, in line with decisions and directives of the Public Service Commission, Heads of Ministries and the Ad Hoc Taskforce on COVID-19, will be allowed unrestricted movement. While funerals will be exempted from this Directive, numbers in attendance should not exceed 50. Visits to hospitals and clinics remain as earlier announced, that is, one visitor per day. Motorists seeking to refuel will not be allowed to leave their vehicles,” he said.“In respect of open-air markets, only food-related markets will be allowed to operate during this period, even then under the watch and direction of health personnel. Markets and stalls trading in non-food items or commodities will stand closed. Should it become necessary, security forces may be deployed to assist in the enforcement of these and other measures, and for the maintenance of order at these markets.”“Until further notice, all public transport operations will stand suspended. Only ZUPCO and Public Service Commission buses will be exempted from this directive. Even then, all ZUPCO and PSC buses are required to observe and enforce social distance and disinfection guidelines in the course of offering their services,” he went on.
President Mnangagwa has already directed security arms to support the civilians in a country that is facing a lockdown.
“To ensure strict compliance, I have directed the National Command Element of our Security Arms to deploy as appropriate in support of Civlian Authority,” he said.
Secretary in the Information and Publicity Ministry Nick Mangwana had hinted in the involvement of the security forces on his twitter handle.
“In view of the seriousness of what faces the Nation, HE President@edmnangagwa has now assigned the chairmanship of #Covid19Zim Task Force to the Vice Presidency deputised by Minister of Defence,” he said.
Harare City Council, City health director, Dr Prosper Chonzi had also hinted earlier and said, “Internally, we are also working closely with this time the defence forces where we have to train the army, the airforce and all so that we have one big team to respond.”
Countries like South Africa, India and even Italy have been using security forces for logistics and enforcing lockdowns. Soldiers and police are seen beating up crowded people in some of the videos.
Opposition leaders including the ruling regime’s biggest foe, Nelson Chamisa using Twitter, have already endorsed the measure that will witness the use of the security members.
The opposition leaders who also include Thokozani Khupe and Lovemore Madhuku agree that the situation is beyond politicking
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