1.Sound public policy requires broad consultation of citizens. It must be scientific and for this reason it ought to be evidence-based.The latest lockdown measures lack scientific rigour,rationality &consistency.We suggest consultation with business, labour &Church #MaskUpZim
2. The application of rules must be fair and non-selective because the virus does not select on the basis of status, class or political affiliation. Rules are effective not only when they apply to others, but when applied to those who make them. #MaskUpZim
3.The latest rules do not deal with the supporting measures to citizens and communities during lockdown.If people must stay at home,support is key.Commanding the closure of the economy without the necessary support,economic reliefs,medical &social measures is suicidal. #MaskUpZim
4. They forget that 80% of our economy is informal which means a lockdown without complementary support system will lose traction. Faced with starvation, people will be forced to breach lockdown rules, posing more risk to themselves and others. #MaskUpZim
5. For this reason, there ought to be an economic and social safety net to support people during lockdown. Simply announcing rules to keep people at home without more is a command style rulership which shows total disregard to people’s interests. #MaskUpZim
6.Another critical omission from the new measures is the failure to address the plight of healthcare staff on the frontline. Healthcare workers without PPE is like sending soldiers to the front without guns and ammunition. It’s cruel and must be addressed as a matter of urgency
7. There is a clear pattern emerging in the way rules are crafted and enforced. The principal target are the poor people while the wealthy are allowed a free pass. Breaches committed in Borrowdale by elites must be met with the same force as breaches in Mbare by ghetto youths.
8. What, for example, is the rationale for closing landports while keeping open airports? It appears elitist as air travel is limited to a few with means while the majority who use road transport are locked in. #MaskUpZim
9. The closure of borders also locks in hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans who work and support families and the country in neighbouring countries. Their remittances are a major source of income but they are now locked in. #MaskUpZim
10.We don't just have a health crisis here but a governance and leadership crisis.We have provinces even districts and we have hotspots and epicenters.Why not have isolation and targeted lockdowns for hot spots,where we identify red zones than to lock the whole nation. #MaskUpZim
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1/Zim sinking courtesy of bad policies & bad leadership causing abject poverty & untold suffering.Take Policy inconsistency & reversals e.g termination of the multiple currency regime in favour of the local currency & later on return back to dollarization in less than a year.
2/Replacing of a fixed exchange rate with an interbank market rate &then going back to a fixed exchange rate &a month later disbandment of the fixed exchange rate regime with an auction system points to tragic policy reversals & policy contradictions just within a few months.
3/The approach in corruption is ample a demonstration of leadership ineptitude and unwillingness to tackle corruption beyond lip service. Government is carrying out the so-called “catch and release” and has totally ignored the findings of the auditor general on corruption.
1/7 For many this lockdown is a decision between livelihood &health.The challenges we face are real but the threat of ignoring this virus will be catastrophic. It remains Gvt duty to provide safety nets &provisions for the vulnerable as we face twin evils of poverty &Covid-19.
2/7 We are living in difficult times.The entire world is engulfed by COVID-19.This disease is real. It does not discriminate.Public health systems across the world, including ours, are overwhelmed.This is why it is vital to do everything to prevent the spreading of virus.
3/7 Given the essential nature of food markets, decentralised and monitored markets which allow informal traders to fend for their families while practicing social distancing and WHO hygiene protocols should be encouraged under the supervision of the assigned officials.
1/4 I’ve been to the Mugabe family residence to pay condolences as a gesture of Ubuntu, rising above political differences and personal animosities. The circumstances right now inform us that this is the time for mourning not political point scoring or politicking.
2/4 We have very many guests and dignitaries coming into our country from around the world to pay their respects and we must welcome them as one family despite our challenges and differences. So we shall not do or say things except all in the spirit of Ubuntu/hunhu hwedu.
3/4 As pan africanists, we will do all what is required of us from a position of principle and values, showing leadership & courtesy. All will be revealed in due course. We all have a duty to each other maintaining fidelity to the matters that matter most for all Zimbabweans.
1/15 All said and done, I acknowledge you the peace loving people of Zimbabwe.I salute those who supported the march despite the challenge. To those who got injured and were assaulted, I wish you quick recovery. Your bravery and courage are not in vain.We shall overcome!
2/15 To the regional leaders, their countries, citizens of Africa and to the international community, thank you for your solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. Ours is a peaceful and just cause, indeed a democratic struggle for a better, free and truly new aZimbabwe.
3/15 As a peaceful party, the MDC has followed all legal processes in the exercise of our political rights which are guaranteed by the constitution. We gave notice of the demonstration even though we disagree vehemently with the legislation under which this had to be done (POSA).
1/16 The visit to the Manicaland cyclone affected areas was more of a listening-interface and interaction with the communities platform.The affected spoke about their ordeals & shared their harrowing experiences.
2/16 I went to Mhandarume, Wengezi, Nyanyadzi,Tanganda halt, Devuli primary school and Birchnough bridge but couldn’t make it to Nedziwa, Ngangu,Kopa, Skyline and other areas in Chipinge most affected by this catastrophic disaster as the roads were impassable.
3/16 I love the people of Manicaland. Chimanimani and Chipinge are great places. I marvel the beauty of our country. We met wonderful people. Though marginalized and tormented, the people have the zeal to better themselves. It really breaks my heart.
1/6We continue to mourn our lost relatives and empathise with the wounded and displaced fellow citizens. Our solution to the crisis requires sincerity, honesty and compassion for those we lead. It is not about lofty words or wordplay unsupported by conduct on the ground
2/6We’ve long offered a hand to resolve our national challenges. Regrettably this hand has been spurned & mocked. It is sad that some seem to have reluctantly come to this realisation following the loss of lives. It doesn’t have to be that way but such is the price of arrogance
3/6When people die,we come together & mourn together. We console the bereaved & show compassion. Leaders console, comfort & apologise for wrongs that they have done. It is not the time for a catalogue of excuses, explanations or justifications. We must show respect to Zimbabweans