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Herald Reporter
The Zanu-PF youth league has applauded President Mnangagwa for announcing bold and decisive mitigatory and preventive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The ruling party’s acting Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Tendai Chirau said in a statement that the decisive action taken was critical since the pandemic had become a global problem.

“On behalf of the millions of young Zimbabweans at home and abroad, it is with great honour and high degree of unpretentiousness to boldly express our heartfelt appreciation for the audacious statements pronounced and measures taken by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Comrade ED Mnangagwa to mitigate and prevent COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“Firstly, we express our gratitude to the government’s well thought out and swift rejoinder to the COVID-19 pandemic as evidenced by the declaration of COVID-19 as a the National Disaster, the speech at the 337th Ordinary session of ZANU PF Politburo where there was a pronouncement on restrictions on foreign travelling especially outside Africa to minimise the risk of and restrictions to minimise the risk of being exposed to and importing COVID-19.”

He said the President’s timely address to the nation on March 23 set the tone for the expected behavioural change and highlighted the need for self-control among all Zimbabweans to combat the pandemic. The address by the President, he said resonates and adds weight to the global mitigatory and preventive measures against COVID-19.

Cde Chirau said the 21-day lockdown, which started today but was announced on March 26, was a necessary preventative intervention in the fight against COVID-19.

“Such grandiose series of public health interventions pronounced by the Government should be viewed as necessary measures to serve and protect the beloved nation of Zimbabwe from COVID-19,” he said.

“We appreciate that historical lockdowns have been resorted to mitigate and prevent pandemics by many nations and governments throughout the history of humankind and Zimbabwe is no exception. Fellow Zimbabweans, since this pandemic requires bold measures, the enactment of Statutory instrument we are not only dealing with a pandemic but also an infodemic , the statutory instruments (SI 77 of 2020) should be hailed as key to ensuring 100 percent compliance from all citizens of Zimbabwe.”

He said since the global pandemic knows no political or religious inclination, color, race, sex, gender, class, status or any other social classification, there was need to delink, debunk and dispel the myths that COVOD-19 does not affect blacks or people from the tropics because of its devastating effects are a threat to all human beings.

Cde Chirau called on Zimbabwe to rise above their fear, panic and anxieties over the disease and avoid blaming, or ostracising those already suffering from the disease.

“The onus is on us to heighten our sense of decorum and responsibility and mobilise our collective conscience and mindfulness of the COVID-19 mitigatory and preventive prescriptions and proscriptions announced by the Government. We would like to take the opportunity to applaud the law abiding people of Zimbabwe for their strict adherence to the lock down orders. Despite the trying times, it is highly uplifting and encouraging that the majority of the citizenry of Zimbabwe are committed to ensuring that COVID-1 9 will be mitigated and prevented with high degree of success,” he said.