As COVID-19 cases gain traction in Zimbabwe with infections over 2000, Zimbabweans must be responsible and avoid events with the potential to fuel up Covid-19 during the lockdown, philanthropist, and former Kuwadzana legislator, Dr. Betty Nhambu Kaseke has said.
The former legislator expressed worry over today’s (31 July 2020) planned demonstrations’ potential to escalate the spread of the deadly virus.
Speaking at Sifra Shops in Ward 44 in Kuwadzana where she was overseeing the sale of subsidized mealie meal to Kuwadzana residents the Zanu-PF DCC zone 3 Secretary for women’s affairs said, given the Covid-19 pandemic, only the living can exist to exercise any other constitutional right including the right to demonstrate peacefully under Section 59.
“The right to demonstrate is enshrined in the Constitution and democratically granted to everyone but of late, the opposition has been contemplating to overthrow the constitutionally elected government by any means. So there is no logic in tempering with life simply because you want to exercise the right to demonstrate,” she said.
Furthermore, knowing very well that there is no track history of such demonstrations being peaceful the philanthropist queried the logic by the opposition of demonstrating in the midst of COVID-19 and risk not only the lives of the majority but their own lives by taking such a move.
“It’s naive. It exposes a hidden agenda and Zimbabweans should not be hoodwinked to aid the regime change agenda being pursued by some opposition by participating in destructive actions such as demonstrations. We should help the Government to run the country,” she said.
Dr. Kaseke castigated the demonstrations as madness that exposes the civic society’s desperation, as their “handlers simply want to cause chaos in the country.”
She also encouraged Zimbabweans not to disregard the lockdown measures that were enacted to curb the spread of the pandemic — that has no known cure but can be prevented through observing social distancing, wearing face masks, and limiting public gatherings.
The subsidized mealie meal programme is meant to promote social distancing and curb the spread of COVID-19 during the purchase of the scarce staple food. The residents said they were buying maize-meal from the black market at exorbitant prices and the product was not available in their local shops.
Mrs Noreen Marufu (79) from Ward 44 said the programme had enabled her to feed her orphaned grandchildren that she is looking after. She thanked Dr. Betty Nhambu Kaseke, who personally ensured transparency in the sale of the mealie meal.
Another resident, Jacob Chimedza echoed similar sentiments and said more deliveries of maize-meal should be made to counter the parallel market. “We are happy that we got plenty of mealie meal at the shops,” he said. “We will be happy if more mealie meal is distributed here. We normally buy the mealie meal on the black market for as high as $320 for a 10 kg pack.”
Dr BN Kaseke said the efforts by the Government and the President to afford people access to food aid is a true sign that the new dispensation is people centred.
” The subsidzed mealie mealie, is an indication of how our President, Cde Emerson Mnangagwa, and his government are working tirelessly to ensure that the whole nation gets food. Our caring President knows that there are elderly people like you who are struggling to get food during this covid-19 pandemic era,” she said.
She also said she is going to continue facilitating for this subsidized mealie meal even in other areas to complement the Government’s efforts on food security to the nation.
Today’s delivery is estimated to accommodate more than 500 families who will be served in the groups of 50 in accordance with COVID-19 health guidelines. Everyone from this community is free to come and buy the mealie meal at RTGS$70.
