Introduction
The month of March 2020 will go down in history as one that was characterised by massive worldwide fatalities
and spread of the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) also known as the Corona Virus with countries taking
drastic measures to attempt to control the spread of the disease. As at March 30, the World Health Organisation
recorded 30105 deaths, 638 146 confirmed cases and 203 countries with recorded cases 2. Zimbabwe was not
spared from the pandemic with 8 confirmed cases and one death. These unfortunate cases are a clear
contradiction to the embarrassing statement by the Zimbabwe Defence Minister who remarked earlier in the
month that the Corona virus was a punishment from God against the West for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe.
On 27 March, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a 21 day Lockdown in a move to contain the spread
of the highly infectious virus. Although this move was necessary in curbing the spread, the preparedness of the
Government in terms of ensuring there are safety nets for the less privileged left a lot to be desired. This is more
so in light of the fact that the economy is highly informal with the majority of citizens self-employed and survive
from hand to mouth.
ZPP recorded a number of violations regarding COVID-19 infection mitigation responses, including a 24-hour
ultimatum by management at Kefalos Farm in Seke for workers to evict extended family from the households as
a way of preventing Corona virus. This infringes on cultural rights as Zimbabweans value extended family. In some
reports received by ZPP, some members of Zanu PF moved around communities taking down names and
promising them that Zanu PF supporters would get food aid during the Lockdown. This worrying development
was followed by an announcement by the Finance minister that government had set aside funds to assist
vulnerable families, raising fears that once again the funds will be distributed on partisan basis.
The state of the health delivery system came under scrutiny as it became apparent that the country’s major
referral hospital for COVID-19, Wilkins Hospital was not adequately prepared for admission and management of
those who would have tested positive for the virus. A statement in the media from the family of the late Zororo
Makamba who succumbed to the virus indicated the weak and poor state of the country’s preparedness to deal
with the virus. The subsequent closure of Wilkins for renovations demonstrates the lack of preparedness by the
government in funding health institutions to fight the Corona virus. Instead, government has relied heavily on
donations to fund the health sector.
Government ‘s failure to permanently resolve the impasse between the Ministry of Health and Zimbabwean
doctors continued to infringe on citizens’ rights to life and healthcare. On 25 March 2020, doctors downed tools
citing incapacitation. In a letter addressed to the Government, the doctors cited lack of necessary tools and
equipment to fight the Corona virus. This dire situation continues to expose citizens to the Corona virus especially
vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those who already have other chronic medical conditions.
Barely a month after announcing in a Monetary Policy Statement that Zimbabwe was on track in its dedollarisation efforts, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe released a statement legalising the use of the United States
Dollar (USD) in day to day transactions. The RBZ Governor, Dr. John Mangudya cited the need to ease transactions
for the public during the difficult times brought about by the Corona virus. A Statutory Instrument (SI) 85/2020
was introduced to support this re-introduction of the USD. This reintroduction has been viewed by some citizens
as a reversal of the failed local currency policy, after the Government had banned use of the USD in 2019 through
2https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/8
2