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Herald Reporter
President Mnangagwa yesterday saluted Zimbabwean companies for responding overwhelmingly to his call for donations to fight Covid-19 after 12 companies made various donations at State House.
Mining concern Bravura Zimbabwe donated two ambulances and four ventilators worth $9 million and OK Zimbabwe chipped in with goods worth $5 million.
The OK Zimbabwe consignment was composed of personal protective equipment for Parirenyatwa Hospital, Wilkins Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals.
Zimgold Zimbabwe, represented by Mr Rodreck Musiyiwa, donated a 30-tonne truckload of cooking oil, soap and blankets while Nestle Zimbabwe donated $500 000 worth of goods to be given to isolation centres and frontline health workers.
Meikles Zimbabwe chipped in with a consignment of linen for quarantine centres.
Ezekiel Guti University donated fumigation booths to fight the Covid-19 virus, hand sanitisers and protective gowns and Chicken Slice came in with a $600 000 consignment of personal protective equipment.
Allied Timbers Zimbabwe contributed $2 million towards Covid-19 fight and Ariston Holdings donated five metric tonnes of tea.
Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints Church donated a huge consignment of personal protective equipment and ventilators. Some of the material from the church was on its way from overseas, while Pazia Mining donated a consignment of goods worth $100 000.
Gweru-based firm, DCK also made a donation of food stuffs towards the Covid-19 fight.
Speaking after the presentation of the donations, President Mnangagwa said Government was happy with the level of response from all Zimbabweans individually and collectively.
“May I humbly on behalf of the nation, on behalf of the Government and indeed on my own behalf as President, express to you individually and collectively my sincere and deep appreciation of the donations you have made this morning,” said President Mnangagwa.
“I am happy that substantively, the entire nation has responded positively to this call. Companies, captains of industry, churches, traditional leaders, universities — all the sub sectors of our economy and society — have responded one way or the other. We must give credit to our own people, ourselves.”
President Mnangagwa said he was under pressure from the industry to open up to save the economy but Government’s top priority was to save lives.
“I know I have so much pressure from some of you who are here and some who are not here who feel that we should do what Trump is doing. There are those who feel that we should open up,” said the President.
“There are those who say before the pandemic came in as it stands, people died, so what is the difference but I think its critically important that where we know we can put in measures to mitigate against massive deaths in our country, we should choose to save lives than to continue to promote production. Post lifesaving, we can go for production. We therefore set up a taskforce headed by one of my Vice Presidents, VP Mohadi,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said he was considering to broaden the Covid-19 taskforce, which is currently constituted by ministers, to include other stakeholders.
He said Government had monopoly of wisdom and the taskforce should include members from the public sector, private sector, churches, youth and women organisations.
Online Reporter