Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE ravaging Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow on national programmes after it claimed the lives of key members of Government, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Cabinet ministers including Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister late Joel Biggie Matiza, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, the late Dr Sibusiso Moyo, both National Heroes, are among the Government members who succumbed to the virus during the second wave at the beginning of the year.
Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government programmes Minister Dr Joram Gumbo, who is on a nationwide tour of national infrastructural projects, told the Chronicle of the devastating effects of losing critical staff during the second wave of Covid-19.
“It was actually devastating to know some of the colleagues that you have been working with had died from Covid-19. As you are aware under the New Dispensation, the team that has been put together by His Excellency, is a hard-working team and having one of us dying, was very devastating. We lost Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza, Minister of Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ellen Gwaradzimba among other comrades in Government,” said Minister Gumbo.
“But just like in any war those who remain must carry on and we soldier on and must carry on and we always say where they left and what they wished for we will try and make sure that we succeed from that point.”
He said the public should appreciate that the country is facing the same situations as it did in January, therefore they should be more vigilant while observing regulations.
“Covid-19 is a reality and is now killing our people and most of our people are now being affected by it. I know that some of you don’t know how bad it is because when you get up in the morning, you interact with your communities and you assume that all is well, it’s not that okay.
“The situation is bad that is why His Excellency, has had to impose restrictions to contain the rise in cases. The President has had to postpone major events like the reopening of schools because this pandemic is real and serious,” he said.
Minister Gumbo said the public should understand that Covid-19 does not discriminate and everyone should adhere to regulations.
He said the nation has to follow World Health Organisation guidelines and Health and Child Care stipulations to survive the third wave including avoiding gatherings.
Minister Gumbo said while Government has done its best to protect citizens from contracting the virus, individuals have a role to play.
“Zimbabwe has done extremely well, you might have realised that even in other countries like Australia, they have come up to praise what Zimbabwe is doing. South Africa has also come out to praise what Zimbabwe is doing. Under very difficult conditions with all the financial limitations that the country has, we have done well. All efforts that the Government is making are complemented by our international friends such as China and India through providing vaccines so that we vaccinate our people. And Government is also buying the vaccine doses,” said Minister Gumbo.
He urged the public to take up the Covid-19 vaccine doses being rolled out free of charge in all provinces.
The country seeks to vaccinate 60 percent of the population for the nation to achieve herd immunity.
Achieving herd immunity would propel the country to return to normalcy.
Yesterday, 28 people succumbed to Covid-19 as the country recorded 1 949 new cases in the last 24-hour reporting cycle.
The country has so far recorded a total of 57 963 cases and 1 939 deaths. The national recovery rate has further declined to 72 percent as active cases go up to 14 400
In Bulawayo, three people died with cases rising to 158 yesterday. Harare recorded the highest number of 11 deaths followed by Mashonaland West with eight deaths. Midlands and Masvingo recorded two deaths each while Mashonaland Central and Manicaland had one death each.
All the cases are local transmissions. — @nqotshili
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