A total of 875 people have been arrested countrywide on Day
Five of the national lockdown for violating anti-Covid-19 regulations, at a
time when police are raising concerns on “lockdown house parties” which have
become a hit.
In major cities, people are reported to be binge drinking
and throwing parties in their houses, where substance abuse is the order of the
day.
At the said parties, children are exposed to fumes from
dangerous drugs and cigarette smoke which is dangerous as passive smoking has
detrimental health effects.
When Chronicle toured some Bulawayo suburbs, it established
that most residents were beginning to heed the call to stay at home and follow
the lockdown regulations as gazetted by Government.
Interviews also showed that people were shaken by the
alarming increase in global statistics of confirmed cases which have shot past
the one million mark, while nine cases and one death have been confirmed in the
country.
Although the generality of people are complying with the
regulations, some people continue to flout the Government directive as scores
have been seen roaming aimlessly in the central business district (CBD) and
residential areas.
Police road blocks continued to be in full forces as scores
of people where forced to return to their locations after they were deemed to
be making unnecessary trips to the central business district.
The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company was also transporting
essential staff only to work stations as members of the public were advised to
get essentials from places within a 5km radius from their homes.
In a telephone interview yesterday, national police
spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the police force was
pleased that people were beginning to heed the call to stay at home although he
highlighted there were still some rogue elements who continue to disregard
regulations.
He said there was a new trend of house parties where people
were converging at homes to drink alcohol, flouting laws on social distancing
and public gatherings.
“We continue to be in full force across the country and
have observed that people are now heeding the call. Generally, people are now
complying. The volume of traffic on the roads is also decreasing, showing signs
of compliance,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He warned people hosting house parties that they would face
the wrath of the law if they did not stop their shenanigans.
“However, we note with concern the growing trend of house
parties where people are converging in homes and breaking laws on public
gatherings and flouting social distancing and lockdown orders. We, therefore,
warn members of the public against these as we will be descending on them
without further notice,” he said.
Meanwhile in Gweru, residents have continued to defy
Government’s lockdown directive and vehicular and human traffic are increasing
in the central business district.
Yesterday people were crowded at undesignated pick-up and
drop off points like the Gweru City Council offices along the Gweru-Bulawayo
Road, Amtec and Cathedral looking for intercity transport.
In most high-density suburbs, people were going about their
usual business.
At Ascot Mtapa and Mambo suburbs, residents blamed Gweru
City Council’s failure to provide water, for their failure to fully comply with
the lockdown order.
Some residents were also seen milling around bottle stores
after failing to purchase alcohol from supermarkets which have stopped selling
the product
“We have gone for two months without water and it is
difficult for us to stay home. We would want to stay indoors but we are
compelled to go to boreholes to queue for water because our council has failed
to provide us with water. The local authority itself is partially to blame for
people’s failure to comply,” said a resident.
Midlands Minister of State Larry Mavhima said the
Provincial Joint Operation Command (JOC) will intensify a crackdown on defiant residents.
“We are also concerned with what has been happening. We are
beefing up security to ensure full compliance,” he said. Chronicle
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