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Fungi Kwaramba
Political Editor
AS Covid-19 cases spiral amid a deadly third wave, President Mnangagwa has called on all Zimbabweans to come together to defeat the invisible enemy that has left a trail of destruction across the country.

Zimbabwe, which has largely been successful in containing the spread of the virulent contagion, is presently witnessing a spike in infections and mortalities, with experts warning against complacency.

In an effort to contain the disease that mutates into more deadly variants with time, President Mnangagwa three weeks ago announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew, a 60 percent decongestion of offices, and also a ban on intercity travel among a raft of measures to contain the latest wave.

Arresting or reducing the mixing and mobility of people has been globally proven effective in reducing transmission of the virus which was first reported in 2019 and has, apart from claiming millions of lives, ruined world economies.

In Zimbabwe, by Friday last week more than a million people had been vaccinated with antidotes that experts say are the passports to the scaling down of national lockdowns which continue to disrupt livelihoods.

President Mnangagwa, who has been leading from the front in the fight against the invisible enemy said all hands must be on deck if the country is to emerge victorious against the deadly scourge and return to normalcy.

“The fight against Covid-19 is a national struggle — and we must all come together to defeat it. Thank you to Sakunda Holdings, West Property, CBZ, and other Zimbabwean businesses for your contribution to the vaccination fund,” the President said.

Heeding the President’s call to assist in the fight against Covid-19, the corporates made donations into the Covid-19 war chest.

“These donations have come at the most opportune time as we currently battle against a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, characterised by a more virulent Delta variant, which has seen a surge in new infections and unfortunate mortalities,” the President said last week.

“I once again urge our fellow citizens to remain alert and vigilant in the fight against Covid-19 and go out in their large numbers to get vaccinated . . . I once again express my deep gratitude to the companies who have made today’s (last Friday) generous donations. My Government stands ready to welcome similar support from other corporates, individuals, organisations, and development partners as we scale up our fight against the pandemic.”

Last week, when the country reached the 1 million vaccine milestone, the President saluted the country’s healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of vaccinating multitudes, sometimes into the night.

This comes as the country has made Covid-19 vaccines available across the country with Government awareness teams traversing the length and breadth of Zimbabwe to debunk myths surrounding the virus and also encourage communities to get the vaccines that come free of charge.

The country is targeting to vaccinate at least 10 million of its population, a position that would ensure herd immunity, which occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.