"Is Zanu PF prepared (competent) to deal with covid-19?" - rhetorical question, of course P Guramatunhu

After 40 years of this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF dictatorship there is no debate – Zanu PF has been a nightmare during the best of times. Four decades of Zanu PF misrule have taken the country from being a jewel of Africa with a promising economy to a failed Banana Republic.

The country, once upon a time with booming economy and able to feed its own people and the breadbasket of the region has seen its agricultural sector collapse and with it the economy. For the last 20 years Zimbabweans have depended on imported food aid and the economic collapse has force unemployment to soared to the dizzying heights of 90%.

The ruling elite have creamed off the nation’s wealth to build palatial mansions and finance their lavish lifestyles. In 2012 alone Mugabe made no few than 8 trips to Singapore for an eye check-up at a cost of US$3 million per trip; moneys that should have been used in the country’s own health care service. Our public health care service has all but totally collapsed after decades of poor funding.

The corona virus outbreak is taking place at a time when Zimbabwe’s health care is so broken even big referral hospitals like Mpilo and Parerenyatwa Hospitals regularly run out of painkillers and go for days without clean running water. The economy is in total meltdown there is no money to shore up the broke the ramshackle health care service much less to build and equip new corona virus hospitals.

“We urge health authorities to account for the … management of the 79 year old corona virus patient who died in Bulawayo recently. It took five days (from 2 to 7 April) to get the result of the Covid-19 test, a period which is too long,” complained Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR).

“The inability to diagnose on time is a clear sign that health professionals attending the deceased were exposed, as they lack essential protective equipment.

“The absence of diagnostic facilities for Covid-19 also brings to question the state of preparedness of centres outside Harare.

“What is the government doing to improve the turn-around time for tests? The patient was treated at a local hospital. Is this an infectious diseases hospital or a Covid-19 designated facility?”

A rhetorical exercise, of course. No one expects this Zanu PF government to be competent and diligent, not after 40 years of being corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless!

This virus pandemic was set to be a very tragic event throwing the national economy into deep depression, forcing 10% of the population into abject poverty and killing 1% to 2% of the population. Most developed country expect their economies to bounce back in a year or two.

In Zimbabwe the sheer breath-taking incompetence of this Zanu PF regime is going to turn the tragic event into a catastrophe of epic proportions. 34% of the population is already living in abject poverty, we can expect the number to double. The Zimbabwe economy has been in decline for the last 40 years the best one can expect is a recovery to its present subsistence, informal, level in a year.

 The heaviest price Zimbabwe will pay for the folly of having a corrupt and incompetent government during the corona virus outbreak is in human suffering and lost lives. We can expect as many as 10% plus of the population to die.

"Know Zanu PF splash $4 m on anti-sanction has no covid-19 test kits" - actually, know a hell lot more P Guramatunhu

"Did you know? Govt spent an unbudgeted $4 million on hapless anti-sanctions march but they won't spend any money on buying #Covid19 tests. They're putting lives at risk & creating a situation where many may have #Corona Virus but there's no infrastructure to test them," Fadzayi Mahere said via Twitter.

Zimbabweans have had many chances, the best chances being during the 2008 GNU, to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and have wasted them all. The nation has paid dearly for the 40 years plus of corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF rule and, with this corona virus outbreak, the price is shoot through into the stratosphere!

Zimbabweans will now have the time to reflect on all the wasted opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship particularly on MDC leaders’ selling out during the 2008 GNU when they failed to implement even one reform in five years.

The situation could have been saved if the sell-out opposition opportunists, Mahere included, had not participated in the flawed and illegal July 2018 elections. The village idiots participated in the elections even when Zanu PF failed to produce even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!

It is rich for the village idiots like Mahere to now be telling us the troubles we are in with this Zanu PF regime when it was their greed that gave the elections and regime some modicum of credibility! The village idiots knew that by participating with no reforms, they will be giving the flawed process credibility as David Coltart, MDC A Senator and Treasurer admitted.

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” confessed Coltart in his 2016 book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

A number of the MDC factions reconciled and formed the MDC Alliance before the July 2018 and still they participated in that plebiscite knowing fully well that not even one had been implemented since the rigged 2013 elections for the same reason – greed.

Mahere and her fellow MDC A colleagues, she joined the party soon after the July 2018 elections, have been calling for reforms to be implemented but have refused to rule out participating in the 2023 plebiscite even if no meaningful reforms are implemented.

The one reform Zanu PF is certain to implement is creating the constitutionally recognised opposition leader and shadow cabinet complete with the ministerial salaries, limos, the full works. Zanu PF knows that Mahere and her colleagues in the opposition camp will find this sweetened bait irresistible. Their eyes glaze over just at the thought of driving around in the super comfort of a ministerial limo – at long last! And long may it last too!

MDC leaders have had the best chances to implement the democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship; they have been on the political stage for 20 years and have nothing to show for it. MDC and all those who have participated in flawed and illegal elections have completely abandon the common cause of implementing the reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections - the pre-requisite for competent and accountable government. They have accepted the status quo of Zanu PF rigging the elections as long as they get a share of the spoils of power.

If Zimbabwe is to finally achieve the objective of implementing the reforms and ending the curse of rigged elections and bad governance then Zimbabweans must finally accept the reality that people like Chamisa, Mahere, etc. will never implement the reforms. Never ever! We need to find competent and focused men and women to do so.  

“Did you know? Govt spent an unbudgeted $4 million on hapless anti-sanctions march but they won't spend any money on buying #Covid19 tests!” Yes, we know that but more importantly we also know your participation in the July 2018 elections out of selfish greed gave this regime the modicum of legitimacy! Worse still, we know you will participate in the 2023 elections for the same reason – greed! 

"Nothing can sanitise Chamisa's illegal transgressions" says Chamboko - Hear! Hear! W Mukori

Dear Moses Chamboko

Thank you very much for your sober analysis of the recent Supreme Court judgement on the legality of Chamisa’s takeover of the MDC-T following Tsvangirai’s death. The facts of the matter are clear for all to see. Why MDC leaders and supporters alike are shouting at each other and tearing they hair out is proof of just how shallow minded they are!

“I have seen a lot of people being verbally abused on different forums and platforms for openly stating a known fact, which is that constitutional provisions were not followed when Tsvangirai appointed two additional deputies. The constitution was not followed again when Nelson Chamisa was elevated to lead the MDC-T when Tsvangirai died,” you rightly pointed out.

“Anyone who disagrees with that is seeking only to create mischief or, perhaps even worse, is displaying their gross ignorance. Some have attacked the courts for being biased. Granted, our courts of law have not always demonstrated consistency in some of their judgements, however that alone does not sanitise the illegal transgressions that happened within the MDC-T before and after Tsvangirai's death!”

Hear! Hear!

I am writing to dispute your simplistic and foolish; but must add, commonly held; notion that Zimbabwe will move forward if only this Zanu PF government finally aligned the country’s existing laws to the 2013 constitution.

“Turning to the government, my take is they really need to pull up their socks and move swiftly to complete the alignment of all remaining laws to the Constitution. Surely, seven years is more than enough time to bring this exercise to finality. The passion that they exert when they intend to amend the Constitution must double when it is time to implement what has already been agreed to by the people,” you argued.

“As an example, a lot of Zimbabweans returning home still encounter unnecessary inconveniences at ports of entry as if immigration officers do not know that dual citizenship is now enshrined in the national Constitution. Provincial Councils should have been established by now in the spirit of devolution as required by the Constitution. The inordinate delay in implementing the Constitution adopted in 2013 is now becoming both inexcusable and disingenuous. It is simply unacceptable!”

Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections to secure the state presidency and 2/3 majority in parliament. There is every reason to believe the party would have done the same in the devolved Provincial Councils. All the nation would have got is yet another layer of the same corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical thugs. They too will demand the usual generous salaries and allowances, ministerial limos, palatial mansion, etc., etc. all at taxpayers’ expense.

Devolved government alone without doing something to stop Zanu PF rigging elections will not change anything. One should be very careful what one wishes for!

So, try again: which laws must be aligned and, more pointedly, will the alignment be enough to guarantee free, fair and credible elections?

No one has ever answered that question and much less give the guarantee because the 2013 constitution itself is weak and feeble to deliver free and fair elections. It is not a democratic constitution and was never meant to be.

“Mugabe dictated the 2013 constitution!” Paul Mangwana boasted soon after the March 2013 referendum.

Mangwana was the Zanu PF co-chairperson in the parliamentary committee tasked to draft the new constitution. The 2013 constitution gives the State President excessive powers without the usual democratic checks and balances and it also gives the individual freedoms and rights in one clause only to take them all away in the next. This is exactly what one would expect a dictator like Mugabe to dictate!

Remember Morgan Tsvangirai and all his fellow MDC leaders failed to implement even one democratic reform in the five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU because they are corrupt and incompetent. They supported the feeble new constitution and even claimed it an “MDC child” because they had little else to show for all their years in the GNU.

Indeed, one should not be surprised that MDC leaders and supporters alike are squabbling amongst themselves over Chamisa’s undemocratic seizure of power; it is as one would expect given they are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. They failed to implement even one reform because they wasted time on trivial matters; they are doing so now.

What is a clear-cut matter to you and everyone else out there is as complex and incomprehensible as Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity to a grade one child to these MDC simpletons.

It is these MDC simpletons who have given traction to the foolish notion that aligning the country’s existing laws to the 2013 constitution is all Zimbabwe needs to end the curse of bad governance. We need much more than that!

We need to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU and, at the very least, rectify the many weakness and flaws in the 2013 constitution. We will need to appoint a competent interim government to implement the reforms, it is naïve to expect Zanu PF to do it because Mnangagwa and company will never reform themselves out of office.

Zimbabwe’s next election must be free, fair and credible. No if, no but!  

"I'm proud of your discipline during lockdown" said Mnangagwa - tomorrow "Soldier crush our enemies!" N Garikai

“Wishing a blessed Sunday to my brothers and sisters in lockdown. I am proud of the way you have responded to this challenging situation, with discipline, commitment, and spirit. The road is long, but we are on the right path. Stay strong and keep it up. Together, we shall overcome!” said Mnangagwa.

I find this sickening! Mnangagwa has treated the ordinary Zimbabweans as third-class citizens denying us our basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life. He rigged the July 2018 elections and even had seven people shot dead for daring to protest another rigged election. And so after once again ruthless crashing our hopes for meaning democratic change and economic recovery; he is now lording over calling us brothers and sisters!

Mnangagwa is like an abusive husband who is all over the wife like a rash, as if he is the most loving and attentive husband ever, even as she sports a black-eye from a recent savage beating by the brute!

“We don’t want violence, so I said soldiers go and silence these people, they were silenced,” Mnangagwa told his Zanu PF supporters in Mwenezi following the protest the fuel rise in January 2019. “Sort them out … We will crush our enemies, and they are being crushed!”

Hundreds of thousands were beat and/or raped and 17 were shoot dead for daring to protest the country’s worsening economic situation.

“Even on communal water points, joint ZRP and municipal police manned and organized communities for order and social distancing. It became clearer that the water supply situation in our cities and towns need urgent attention,” chipped in the faithful as a dog George Charamba.

It is laughable that the regime is admitting to its failure to supply clean running water so people can wash their hands regularly as one of the simple measures in the fight to stop the spread of corona virus. The country has completely failed to implement even the most basic measures to stop the spread of the virus and as the outbreak picks pace will find it is ill-equipped to deal with the sick and dead!

Our health care services has all but completely collapsed. There is a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses as most left the country to seek a living wage and better working conditions. There is no basic equipment and no medicine, even referral hospitals like Parerenyatwa and Mpilo Hospital regularly run out something as basic as pain killers and even clean running water. The situation is even worse for the smaller hospitals and clinics.

Zimbabwe will offer no meaningful hospital care service to the corona virus patience and so the death rate will be considerably higher compared to other nation that offered ventilators and ICU.  

“Communities really appreciated the fact of a leadership mindful of the need to show empathy and first-hand appreciation of how families are coping. The whistle trip became the only appropriate mode and approach in the wake of the severe lockdown during which crowds and crowding are disallowed,” continued the infernal Charamba.

Appreciate! What is there for the ordinary Zimbabwean to appreciate in a regime whose leaders have creamed off the nation’s wealth to build their palatial Blue Roof mansions and to pay for their extravagant lifestyles, so much so that even the country’s hospitals have no clean running water!

Price for not testing is 10% or 1.5 m plus Zimbabweans will die of covid-19 instead of 1% or less W Mukori

“Test! Test! Test”! The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised all nations ever since it became clear that the corona virus was very contagious and was spreading. WHO declared covid-19 a pandemic 12 March 2020. Sadly, nearly a month later since the declaration and with 9 confirmed corona virus cases in the country Zimbabwe still continues to drag her feet on testing.

  

“In terms of testing there is equipment at the National University of Science and Technology and at Mpilo Hospital. We are in the process of combining these so we can do the testing here locally. I understand in Bulawayo we currently have the rapid testing equipment but it is not complete, so they have not started testing, therefore testing is at the moment only being done in Harare where samples from all corners of the country are sent,” said the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo at a Press conference in Bulawayo.

As of today 5^th April 2020, Zimbabwe has 9 confirm corona virus cases one of whom has since died. One would be tempted to take comfort in the small number but they will be wrong. The country has only carried out 316 test which is a drop in a bucketful!

One infected person can meet 5 people in their normal day interaction to whom they could potential infect with the virus. The following day the infected person plus the 5 infected the day before could infect 5 more people each. By the end of the week, 7^th day, there will be potential 6 times 6 repeated seven times or 6^7 = 279 936.

In other words after a week, each confirmed corona virus case may have infected 279 936 others who must now be traced and tested. We have 9 confirmed corona virus patients and each has had more one week to infect others and we have only done 316 tests in total! This is a sick joke!

There should be fully equipped and staffed test facilities in each of the country’s 10 provinces capable of doing 100 test a day at least.

Zimbabwe’s public health service has all but collapsed; there a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses, even big hospitals like Parerenyatwa regularly run out of even the most basic medicine like pain killers and even clean running water. It is naïve to even talking of mobilizing such a crippled health care service to deal with corona virus patients. Of what value will a 50 or even 500 bed corona virus hospital be if the number of people requiring hospital treatment can soar to 50 plus a day in the first week of the outbreak. And the demand for beds then grows exponential for the next three or four months!

Zimbabwe’s ill-resourced health care service will be completely overwhelmed within days of the virus outbreak. The country’s only fighting chance to contain the virus is by getting ahead of the curve – stop the outbreak happening. By instituting a very aggressive testing program, the nation will detect and isolate the infected person before they have time to spread the virus.

We should not forget that Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because of 40 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical rule by Zanu PF. The people have failed to remove the party from office all these years because Mnangagwa and company rigged the elections.

The biggest mistake the people of Zimbabwe have ever made was to allow Zanu PF to get away with rigged elections again and again. And, by Jove, we have paid dearly for that folly.  

40 years of Zanu PF misrule have destroyed Zimbabwe’s once prosperous economy and 34% of the population now live in extreme poverty. Zanu PF has ridden roughshod over the people, denying them their freedoms and basic rights. Corona virus is pushing the price we are paying for decades of bad governance to new dizzying heights.

Corona virus has wreaked havoc in those countries with well-resourced health services and most important of responsive, competent, accountable and stable government. Still, as many as 1% of these country’s population will die from corona virus and the country will slide into deep depression forcing 5% to live in abject poverty.

Zimbabwe’s collapsed health service will mean many more lives will be lost; as many as 10% of the population or 1.5 million will die. The economy, in ruins already before the virus outbreak, will sink into even deeper trouble. The number living in abject poverty will double from 34% to 68%!

The price of buying the test kits and carrying out 1 000 test per day for the next three months will be a fraction of the price the nation will pay in human suffering, lost lives and the economic cost in one day should there be a fully fledged corona virus outbreak. It is not too late to start an aggressive test program.

“Test! Test! Test!” WHO advised. For Pete’s sake, why are we not testing?

"I smell change!" said Chamisa - smelt loot for 5 years of GNU and waste chance for change N Garikai

US President Donald Trump and Nelson Chamisa have one thing in common- they both love sending messages on Twitter. From Chamisa, more often than not, it is either blasphemy and/or fake news!

"Zimbabwe is about to see God's powerful move. We shall soon be the hub of new development modes in the world. We shall be the wisdom centre of the entire continent. We shall have a new song of joy. A new anthem and new wealth. Oh I see all these new things. Everything NEW! I smell change. Change is in the air!" said Chamisa on twitter.


"ITS REVIVAL TIME. Please be safe! It's time to live and love than ever before!
"May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, your family, your trade, and society now and forevermore."
God helps those who help themselves!

Chamisa has a foolish habit of seeing what is not even there and make a big song and dance over!

“I visited Wilkins hospital. So encouraging to see how the City of HARARE leaders & staff are working to enhance training, capacity and preparedness in dealing with COVID-19. I was taken through the processes. We must all do our best to be fight this pandemic,” he said on twitter on 16 March 2002.

Just days later the late Zororo Makamba was admitted to Wilkins Hospital, the first corona virus patient. It turned out the Hospital had no medicine, no ventilators, no oxygen, no PPE for staff, no electricity sockets in the room, no clean running water and for a toilet, a bucket! What exactly had Chamisa had found “so encouraging in the preparedness” in this; is a mystery!

As the winter approaches it is feared that the spread of the corona virus in Zimbabwe will accelerate. The country is not in an economic position to deal with the outbreak.

The root cause Zimbabwe’s economic mess is 40 years of corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF rule. The nation could not remove the regime from office all these years because it rigged the elections. 

The country has had many golden opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship, notably during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. All Nelson Chamisa and his follow MDC leaders had to do then was to implement the democratic reforms. They failed to get even one reform in five years. Not one!

Corona virus has caused serious economic disruption and death in such countries as South Korea and France with well-resourced health services, prosperous economy and very competent and efficient government. The virus will leave death and economic destruction in Zimbabwe given the country is already in economic ruins, has no health service and, to crown it all, it is still stuck with a corrupt and incompetent government – thanks to Chamisa et al betrayal!

1 to 3% of the population in developed nation is expected to die from corona virus in Zimbabwe we must expect a lot more. 34% of Zimbabwean are living in extreme poverty right now according to a WB report compared to single digit figures in the other countries in the region. Corona virus has disrupted the economy and the number in extreme poverty will go up.

The next nine months, pandemic alone will probably take six months to blow over and three months to restart the economy, will be the darkest chapter in Zimbabwe’s history. And, unless the nation snaps out of its sloth-like slumber and finally act to remove this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with the equally corrupt and incompetent MDC opposition, the nation will doomed to the economic chaos of the last 40 years.

“I smell change! It’s revival time!” MDC leaders failed to deliver even one democratic change in five years during the 2008 GNU because they had their snouts in the feeding trough and forgot about change. If there is ever going to be meaningful change in Zimbabwe, it must start with the people waking up to the reality that people like Chamisa et al will never deliver change. They are just as corrupt and incompetent as Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF thugs; they are the flip side of the Zanu PF coin.

The only strategy to fight covid-19 is test, 1 000 plus daily - only 316 done in 3 months W Mukori

One more person has tested positive of corona virus bringing the total in Zimbabwe to 9. Here is the summary:

30 March Cumulative number of test                  316

Negative                                                         307

Positive                                                              9

Death                                                                1

Zimbabwe’s only hope of avoiding the high numbers of infected requiring hospital treatment and the deaths as seen in many other countries is for the country to adopt a very aggressive test and trace strategy - even more aggressive than that of South Korea. Zimbabwe does not have the economic muscle and its health care service has all but collapse; the country will struggle to deal with 10 hospitalized corona virus patients a month much less the 100 plus a day should the outbreak happen! 

What would constitute aggressive testing and tracing?

Data from China and other countries shows that a corona virus infected person can infect two others every day. At the end of the first day there will be 3 people with the virus included the first person. End of the second day there will be 3x3 = 9. End of third day 3x3x3 = 27. By the end of the week, 7 days 3^7 = 2 187.  

On average person will come into close contact with 5 people every day (infecting 2 out the 5 as above) End of first day there will be 6 (including the infected person) to trace. End of day two 6x6 = 36 and so on with end of the week 6^7 = 279 936! 

So if one corona virus infected person, just one, slips into the country and roams freely for just one week over 250 000 individuals must be traced and tested. 9 different individuals have slip through and each has had a week to spread the virus and so we should have traced and tested over 2 million. Yet so far the country has traced and tested only 316 people or 0.014%! 

South Korea prioritized identifying and isolating people testing positive for the disease, and developed capacity to run about 15,000 diagnostic tests a day. It has conducted more than 300,000 tests to date, free of charge, including in drive-through testing booths since replicated elsewhere.

So far, only the late Zororo Makamba required specialized hospital treatment, which he did not get because the was none. The government's repeated assurance that Wilkins Hospital was ready to take corona virus patients was a lie. Many corona virus patients will suffer and die because Zimbabwe will not have the specialist care they need. 

It is all very well to have a lockdown but without data from test to monitor how the virus is spreading; the lockdown may well be counter productive. Many people traveled from urban, for all we know spreading the virus from epicenters, to their rural home. 

Zimbabwe must step up the testing and tracing, to 1 000 plus day.  by now. It is the only effective tool the country has to mitigate the devastating consequence of the corona virus we know is spreading like wild fire in our midst!