Zimbabwe embraces Chinese advice on fighting COVID-19 pandemic

Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-26

HARARE, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe is very grateful for the practical advice and suggestions it received from a visiting team of Chinese medical experts and will use such knowledge in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Monday.

Speaking at a farewell ceremony for the team, Mutsvangwa said the solidarity from China at a time when the country continues to suffer from Western sanctions was commendable.

"We want to thank you so much for what you have been doing to make sure that Zimbabwe feels that it is not alone. We are a small economy. With the impact of illegal sanctions on our country, it will not be possible for Zimbabwe to go through this alone," Mutsvangwa said.

She said the country's inter-ministerial taskforce on COVID-19, as well as local medical professionals, benefited immensely from the two-week exchange program.

The country looks forward to continuous engagement and knowledge sharing with China on how to fight the pandemic, she said.

"The visit is a pure demonstration of the deep relations between Zimbabwe and China. We were lucky as Zimbabwe to have had this opportunity to get this team of 12 Chinese specialists who were actually in the forefront in China dealing with COVID-19 being in our country. We will certainly make use of their advice and suggestions to make sure that we continuously take interventions which protect the lives of people in our country," she said.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care John Mangwiro said the visit was an important milestone in the further strengthening of health cooperation between Zimbabwe and China.

Zimbabwean health professionals and government officials benefited from knowledge about the virus and how to contain it using meager resources, he said.

"We learnt a lot. They taught us the anatomy of the virus, the physiology, the treatment and the usage of Western and traditional Chinese medicine. All those were very relevant," the deputy minister said.

He said Zimbabwe is keen to make sure the exchange program becomes a permanent arrangement in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Zimbabwe also sending its medical staff to learn from China's experiences.

"The exchange program must be on a continuous basis which should not end with the virus. It must continue forever because medicine is an exchange of knowledge and ideas," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun said the exchange program symbolized win-win health cooperation between the two countries.

He said China shall stand by Zimbabwe until the pandemic is over.

"When faced with the COVID-19 pandemic as a major global health challenge, I would like to say that Zimbabwe will never walk alone. The Chinese government and its people will always stand firmly with Zimbabwe," he said.

"We would also like to keep up the momentum on trade and cooperation between China and Zimbabwe because we are fully aware that a functioning economy is vital to fighting against COVID-19," he said.

During its two-week mission, the team visited four provinces in the country and toured hospitals and health facilities to share knowledge and experience in fighting the pandemic.

They also donated medical equipment and supplies to some of the hospitals that they visited.

Zhu Yimin, leader of the Chinese medical team, said their visit was a fruitful and memorable experience.

"During our two-week stay, we had a chance to exchange ideas and based on what we saw, what we learnt and combined with our experiences in COVID-19, we proposed recommendations for COVID-19 control and prevention. We really hope that the recommendations will be of help to Zimbabwe in dealing with COVID-19," Zhu said.

He commended Zimbabwe's efforts in dealing with the pandemic, noting that the achievements were being made with limited resources.

Zimbabwe has to date recorded 56 cases of COVID-19, including 23 recoveries and four deaths.

Source:- xinhuanet.com
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/26/c_139087276.htm

Zimbabwe frees journalists held for 'coronavirus breach'

Zimbabwe frees journalists held for 'coronavirus breach'

The two Zimbabwean journalists arrested last week as they were investigating the abduction of three opposition party members have been released on bail, a lawyers' association said on Tuesday.

Frank Chikowore and Samuel Takawira, working for the online news outlet 263Chat, had been held on the grounds that they had breached Zimbabwe's anti-coronavirus social distancing rules.

"The magistrate granted them 500 Zimbabwe dollars ($20) bail each," Kumbirai Mafunda, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told reporters.

The pair were "ordered not to interfere with witnesses and continue to reside at the addresses they gave the police until the matter comes to an end", he said outside the Mbare magistrate's court in the capital.

Chikowore and Takawira were arrested on Friday at a private hospital where they were conducting interviews with an opposition lawmaker and two party officials.

The three had been admitted to the hospital after being allegedly abducted and tortured by as-yet unidentified assailants.

Accused of not maintaining adequate social distancing between themselves and interviewees, the journalists were arrested by a police officer guarding the hospital and charged with breaching regulations to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The pair were initially denied bail on their first court appearance on Friday, sparking outrage from local media and rights groups.

Despite the government categorising journalism as an essential service during the lockdown, numerous journalists have been harassed and jailed in the landlocked country.

Last month a Zimbabwean high court ordered police to desist from arresting, detaining or interfering with the work of journalists providing coverage during the Covid-19 lockdown which began March 30 in the southern African country.

Zimbabwe has so far recorded 56 cases of the respiratory disease including four deaths.

Source:- News 24

ZANU PF Inspired by Nazis

on "Africa Day," as reports surface that they lack Ubuntu and are STARVING even the INNOCENT CHILDREN of Zimbabwe.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Leicester, based in the UK have likened the treatment of the people of Zimbabwe by the Government of Emerson Munangagwa and ZANU PF, to the treatment the Children of Israel received during the times of the Nazis.  

Award winning Journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono yesterday lamented the IMMINENT CLOSURE OF A (POP UP) KITCHEN for the needy in Epworth by the Mnangagwa government.  Epworth is a socially and economically deprived area in the South East, Harare Province and is part of the capital city of Zimbabwe. 

Some of the great work being done by the ladies from the humble kitchen called, “Carol and Sandra's Epworth Kitchen”, @AndEpworth (whose Twitter Profile started on Friday 22nd of May 2020) includes, COOKING porridge, every morning, FOR FREE, FOR STARVING CHILDREN in Epworth.  The same CHILDREN had been FORCED through hunger, lack of a social security programs and the alleged theft of COVID 19 donated aid from UK, USA, EU and other countries by Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front(ZANU PF), TO EATING ROTTEN FOOD from bins.  The Children eating rotten food was what forced the two Angelic Women to sell what they had and start feeding the children at least a warm and healthy breakfast.

The two young ladies (Carol and Sandra) started the kitchen, as they were so touched by the sight of Children eating rotten food near some shops, as the children were so hungry.  They (The two young ladies) are said to have sold their clothes, shoes and other trinkets to start feeding the children.  After they started, what they had, was not enough to continue feeding the children, so they begged for donations from all over the world and they have since continued to pour in for them.  This however, this seems to have angered someone or some people in Mnangagwa’s shrewd Government.

One would naturally expect the government of Emmerson Mnangagwa,which has thus far received over USD$ 250 million in COVID-19 aid, to at least feed the hungry children and be happy if Zimbabweans are being resourceful enough to feed themselves.  The job of feeding the hungry in Zimbabwe is that of the Government, the same as it is the job of all governments all over the world, however, in Zimbabwe, the ZANU PF Government does not seem to want to feed the children of Zimbabwe.  They (ZANU PF) seem to believe that, this is not their responsibility.

Irrefutable evidence of ZANU PF’s brutal stinginess (Causing starvation) seems to have been left by Mayor Justice Wadyajena who tweeted during Christmas, 

"It's folly to claim @ZANUPF_Official stole your Christmas! Things are tough but it's still your responsibility to put food on the table. Let's pull up our socks & do something for ourselves & country instead of accusing every successful person of being crooked. Merry Christmas."

Legally, It seems, Zimbabwe's Ratified, Treaty to the United Nations (UN) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (especially general comment 12), the right to adequate food, is being Ravaged and Violated by ZANU PF to the detriment of ordinary Zimbabwean children.  ZANU PF is doing this, even though it's illegal.  ZANU PF knows they have the Corrupted and Captured Justice System led by Justice Luke Malaba so, nothing will be done to them.

Given the above, one cannot help but wonder when the Finance Ministry of Zimbabwe and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, led by Mthuli Ncube and John Mangudya respectively,  will release social security money to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.  Sadly The RBZ, the Ministry of Finance and the other parts of ZANU PF seem to be using the Children and the people of Zimbabwe as Pawns for them to loot.  The more they get, the more they loot, the more they want Zimbabweans to starve.

ZANU PF Concept

“The more the people suffer, the more they get, then, the more they loot.  The more they loot, the more they want Zimbabweans to starve, because then, the more they get and the more they loot.  The cycle continues” by Thabo Makuyana

In conclusion, From the 25th of May 2020, Africa Day, whilst you are having your breakfast, please spare a thought for the children of Epworth.  They are likely now starving, after the ZANU PF Government of Emmerson Mnangagwa, has closed their only source of a warm square meal (Breakfast is the most important meal, especially for children).  Spare a thought for the children who will be forced to go hungry or go and pick rotting or rotten food if there is any at all.  All this whilst Mthuli Ncube, a former Oxford Lecturer, a former London School of Economics Lecturer, educated in Cambridge, and University of the Witwatersrand, executes his greatest plans of mice and men, whilst he lives in the plush Meikles 5 Start hotel, at the tax payers expense and his children, eat, what their Momma made them.

By Thabo Makuyana