Exiled Zimbabwe Cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo has pleaded with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to scrap his holiday and return to work urgently to save lives and livelihoods.
Moyo’s plea comes at a time when Zimbabwe recorded over 750 new COVID-19 cases in 3 days.
Said Moyo, “Sir, you need to scrap your holiday and return to work urgently to save lives and livelihoods. The #coronavirus is sweeping across the country, leaving people helpless; as they see loved ones dying or failing to get treatment, as #Covid-19 cases spike!”
Dear President Mnangagwa,
Sir, you need to scrap your holiday and return to work urgently to save lives and livelihoods. The #coronavirus is sweeping across the country, leaving people helpless; as they see loved ones dying or failing to get treatment, as #Covid-19 cases spike! pic.twitter.com/PTIBs9VIoo
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) January 2, 2021
Zimbabwe is experiencing a rapid increase in both coronavirus infections and fatalities with Dorothy Shamuyarira, the widow of Nathan Shamuyarira being the latest high profile person to succumb to the respiratory illness on Saturday.On New Year’s day, the country recorded 6 deaths and 217 new infections, pushing cumulative cases to 14,084 and deaths to 369.
Health experts warn the situation will worsen for Zimbabwe post-festive holidays, with government spokesperson Nick Ndabaningi Mangwana saying “we are overrun by this virus.”
“We hear UK beds are overwhelmed by Covid-19. Well, that’s them. They say in SA, hospital admission thresholds are now quite high- that’s them. But, let me tell you about our own situation, don’t catch the virus if you can avoid it. We are being overwhelmed and overrun by this virus,” Mangwana said in a weekend tweet.