'Zimbabwe's covid-19 response in the best in Africa' bragged Zanu PF - damned lie and an insult

"Despite Zimbabwe's COVID-19 response being one of the best on the continent as evidenced by fewer deaths and infections as compared to other nations, for government, a single death is one too many," said information minister, Monica Mutsvangwa.

This is just an insult and one thing I hate above all others is being taken for a fool!

The Zimbabwe government announces there were 2 661 new coronavirus cases and 51 deaths bringing the total number of cases and deaths to 76 381 and 2332 respectively since the outbreak of the coronavirus in March 2020. If this was true, then our hospitals and clinics will not the overwhelm and the graveyards looking like freshly ploughed fields with new graves.

Zimbabwe's official covid-19 figures have remained low because the country has not followed the WHO and common-sense recommendation of testing, tracing, tracking and isolating. It is common knowledge that Zimbabwe has deliberately and consistently carried out the fewest covid-19 tests per capita even at a time when the is a significant surge in the covid-19 cases.

In December last year for example, when there was a significant number of coronavirus cases in both SA and Zimbabwe; whilst SA was carrying out over 44 000 test per day, Zimbabwe with ¼ SA's population should have been doing over 11 000 test per day. We were doing 1 500, maximum!

If you were not tested for coronavirus then you will never be counted as a coronavirus case or death. So, the fewer the tests the fewer the official figure of covid-19; it sounds cynical because it is cynical.

The nation has paid dearly for the bragging rights of "Zimbabwe's COVID-19 response being one of the best on the continent as evidenced by fewer deaths and infections as compared to other nations!" By failing to carry out the tests, the nation could not carry through the follow up activities of tracing, tracking and isolation. And so many individuals who should have been in isolation were left to mix and mingle with the rest spreading the virus far and wide and fast!

There is no such thing as good time for a disease outbreak much less a pandemic; this corona virus has happened at the worst time for Zimbabwe. The outbreak occurred at a time when the country's economy is in total meltdown and its health care service has all but collapsed after decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption and, to crown it all, the nation was still stuck with the corrupt and dysfunctional government.

Ever since the country attained her independence in 1980, over 40 years ago; Zimbabweans have known the country's ruling elite were corrupt, incompetent and murderous tyrants who rigged elections to stay in power. The nation has had a number of golden opportunities notably during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to end the Zanu PF dictatorship but wasted them all.

In the long run, nations get the government the deserve. We in Zimbabwe certainly deserve this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of equally corrupt and utterly useless opposition parties, all 130 of them at the last count.

There is no denying if the corona virus pandemic had happened before independence or some thereafter when Zimbabwe's economic and health care service were robust and strong, the nation will have fared a lot better than it is doing right now – forget the official covid-19 figures there are lies and an insult!

The corona virus storm is not over and no one knows how long it will last. Whilst we mourn and bury our died, we must remember the worst of this catastrophe could have been avoided if only we, the people of Zimbabwe, had taken our duty to ensure the country had competent and accountable government with the seriousness and urgency the matter demanded. And, more significantly, reflect on what we must do now to finally put an end to the tragic human suffering and deaths that will continue as long as we have a corrupt, tyrannical, vote rigging and utterly useless government.

The Zanu PF government has already started rigging the 2023 elections by arrogantly announcing that 3 million plus Zimbabweans in the diaspora will once again be denied the vote. How can the elections be legal, free, fair and credible when 30% of the electorate are denied the vote for no other reason than that Zanu PF does not trust them to vote for the party and it has no opportunity to rig the vote?
It is incumbent on all Zimbabweans to ensure all democratic reforms are implemented to guarantee free and fair elections. Zanu PF and it's acolyte MDC opposition are gearing for the 2023 elections to proceed with no reforms, knowing fully well the elections will be rigged. It is our duty to make sure the elections are legal, free, fair and credible.

The Zimbabwe ravaged by corona virus whilst the government of the day insults us by falsifying the seriousness of the pandemic and our suffering and deaths is NOT the Zimbabwe we want. And it is high time we demanded the Zimbabwe we, the people, want.

In Zimbabwe it is the ruling elite, tail that has been wagging the dog; that must change, it is the people who must call the shots. "Nyika vanhu!" (It is the ordinary people who constitute a nation!) as one would say in Shona.