WASHINGTON DC – Inani labantu ababanjwa umkhuhlane weCovid-19 liyanda eZimbabwe selokhe amabandla ezombusazwe esungule imihlangano yokukhankasela ukhetho lwamaby-elections, kutsho ingcwethi kwezenhlalakahle kazulu.
“Abantu abasazihluphi ngokugqoka ama-mask. Ngakho, ukuthi bakulandele lokho kuma-rally bona bevele beqeda isikhathi eside bengawagqokanga, kusuka kube yinkinga,” kutsho uMnu Henry Kane, yena osebenza lozulu kunhlelo zentuthuko.
UKane ubekhuluma emhlanganweni wokuhlaziya isimo seCovid-19 elizweni oqhutshelwe enkundleni yobulembu be-internet yinhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI) ngoLwesihlanu.
Umbuzo omkhulu kulumhlangano ubungowokuthi kambe imikhankaso le ingaba yiyo na ebangela ukumemetheka kwalumkhuhlane nxa kuqathaniswa lalapho isavaliwe.
Isiphathamandla seZDI uNkosazana Patience Sibanda uthe, “Emalangeni lawa adlulileyo besinanzelela ukuthi umkhuhlane weCovid-19 ubumemetheka. And emavikini wona lawo njalo sinanzelela ukuthi yikho lapho obekusenziwa khona ama-political rallies, ngamabandla ehlukeneyo.
“Sibe sesisithi, ayisikho kodwa okwenze ukuthi umkhuhlane lo umemetheke, zikhona ezinye izinto, emabandleni, ngaphi-ngaphi,” uqhubeke esitsho uMaSibanda.
Wengeze wathi lanxa bekubona kufanele ukuthi imikhankaso le iqhubeke, kubalulekile ukuthi abamabandla ezombusazwe “benanzelele ukuthi abantu ma besiya kuma-rallies laphana, bagqokile yini ama-mask, bayasanitayizwa yini. Yikho lokho esikukhuthazayo.”
Uhulumende laye uyakuvuma ukuthi amanani abantu ababanjwa igciwane leCovid-19 suku ngosuku aseqansa nxa kuqathaniswa lasemalangeni edluleyo.
Ugatsha lwezempilakahle lwazise ukuthi ngoLwesine lufumane abantu abangamakhulu phose amahlanu, 499, belomkhuhlane lo njalo abalikhulu babo ngabantwana besikolo. Kubhubhe oyedwa.
NgoLwesithathu kubhubhe abantu abayisikhombisa, 7, njalo kwatholakala abedlula amakhulu ayisikhombisa, 706, belomkhuhlane lo.
Ekhuluma lentathelizindaba ngemva komhlangano wedale labaphathintambo, eleCabinet, ngoLwesibili, umphathintambo obona ngokwethulwa kwembiko, uNkosikazi Monica Mutsvangwa, uthe uhulumende ukhathazekile ngalokhu lanxa nje engatshongo ukuthi bazathatha manyathelo bani.
“Ama-reports aveza ukuba ukwanda kokuhambahamba kwabantu kanye lemibuthano enziwa elizweni lonke ngemva kokuyekethiswa kweziqondiso zeCovid-19, sekubangela ukumemetheka kwalumkhuhlane,” kutsho uNkosikazi Mutsvangwa.
