Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa under pressure to save country from Covid as cases spike

Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa and his government have come under sharp criticism from Zimbabwean journalists and citizens for not putting in enough measures to guard the country against increasing exposure to Coronavirus.

Zimbabweans are now hoping their President scraps his leave/break and urgently tackle the soaring Covid cases in the country.

Reports say there has been a spike in infections and, with no safety protocols in place, it is feared infections will rise faster due to the country’s proximity to South Africa which has over a million infections.

“Dear world, Zimbabwe needs help. The situation is now out of control due to some individuals’ ignorance. We need help with ventilators,” twitter Josey Malachie, Zimbabwean-born Deutsche Welle journalist.

Zimbabwe’s health Minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, is also reportedly out of the country amid the Coronavirus crisis in the country.

Reports say no concrete steps have been taken to enforce COVID-19 measures which are being flaunted in the country.

Hopewell Chin’ono, award winning Zimbabwean Journalist and film maker, is one of those urging the Zimbabwean government step up measures against the pandemic.

“Where is the Minister of Health, General Constantino Chiwenga? Other countries are putting forward their Presidents and Ministers of Health to keep their nations abreast with what is happening regarding Covid-19. The country is on a cliff-edge with citizens dying from Covid-19,” he twitted on Saturday.

On Saturday, Jan. 2, Zimbabwe reported 14,084 Coronavirus infections, as opposed to a lower figure of 13,148 cases on December 30. The country currently has 369 deaths, witnessing 15 more deaths as opposed to the 354 deaths recorded three days ago.

The Zimbabwean government had imposed measures to curb the virus, including making mask wearing compulsory in public places and imposing a 10pm-6am curfew in March 2020 to limit movement.

On December 1, the Government of Zimbabwe began asking all persons flying into the country to present a negative COVID-19 test result.
However, the changing trends of the virus in the country, many say, necessitates more urgent measures to be out in place to save the country from a Coronavirus disaster.