Considering the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases during the past week and half, as Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD), we applaud the government’s move to extend the 21 Day Lockdown by 14 days. However, we wish to draw the government’s attention to the following aspects that have to be addressed pronto.
To commence with, in bringing the country’s economic, socio-political activity to a stand still for the three weeks period everyone expected us to come out as victors against the Corona Virus Pandemic. Alas, fate has it’s own agenda to take care of and we still need to accept it’s a process and not an event. Now government’s decision to extend lockdown without putting in place measures to cushion the lockdown whilst containing the spread of the virus would be the best definition of failure by government.
In my capacity as LEAD President, I do hereby call upon the government to extend it’s hand to all political and socio-economic stakeholders to start working together and agree on a possible practical way to combat the spread of COVID-19 whilst also considering the needs of Zimbabweans. We once made this call that it is important to educate all citizens about the importance of social distancing. Reports are confirming command policing which is a violation of human rights stipulated in the constitution of Zimbabwe.
It is in light of this situation that LEAD appeals to all members of the public to please adhere to all measures being introduced to save lives. We also wish to call upon all citizens to practice Ubuntu in these trying times and offer a helping hand to the less privileged. This call also goes to members of our business community to also stop expecting to become rich overnight by abusing the current economic troublesome situation going on in our country. This is not the time to be rich by pulling each down.
It is time for the church to also come on board and assist the vulnerable in their congregations. The church has been too silent, unbelievably silent yet it is their first calling to assist the vulnerable in society 1 Timothy 5vs 3-16.
In addition to that, those presiding over government structures must start taking into consideration both positive and negative impacts of this lockdown. With an employment rate of not less than 80% Zimbabwe faces a serious threat on the livelihoods of her citizenry more than what this pandemic practically threatens. This is so, considering that those in the informal sector who define the larger part of our productive population for a long period have been surviving on a hand to mouth principle with small if not zero investment and saving ability. It can therefore be noted that even the first part of the lockdown has had negative impacts on their lives and this extension will prove disastrous.
The government must also be reasonable and provide basic needs to all vulnerable families. In as much as COVID-19 poses a serious threat to the well being of our people, hunger and starvation have declared war on poor citizens. We all now look up to the government, corporate world and well wishers for a bail out.
The only tangible way forward is to suspend taxes on citizens, waiver residential rentals and to scrap off the 2% transaction charges on all transactions to save the struggling masses from going into destitution.
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
LEAD President
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