THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and opposition MDC
led by Nelson Chamisa have berated President Emmerson Mnangagwa for extending
the national lockdown by a further two weeks without putting in place measures
to cushion ordinary citizens surviving on hand to mouth.
Mnangagwa on Sunday announced an extension of his 21-day
national lockdown, claiming the country has not met the bare minimum conditions
prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be able to lift the
lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the deadly virus.
Zimbabwe’s lockdown will now end on May 3. However, ZCTU
president Peter Mutasa yesterday said Mnangagwa ought to have announced strong
safety nets for poverty-stricken citizens so that they do not starve during the
lockdown.
“We acknowledge that the President was walking on a tight
rope,” Mutasa said.
“There was need to balance safety and health of citizens on
one side and the economy on the other side. It was never going to be easy. We
are therefore happy that he chose to follow medical experts’ advice especially
WHO’s guidance and prioritised health over economic factors.
“However, although we think the extension was unavoidable,
we expected the President to be clear on a number of issues that make the
lockdown bearable and effective.”
South Africa, Rwanda and many other countries across the
globe have been providing social safety nets for citizens whose incomes were
affected by the lockdown. Other countries, South Africa included, gave packages
to companies to cushion them from collapse.
Zimbabwe, which relies on a street market, is still
processing a cushion of $200 (US$5) per family to vulnerable groups. The
process has been marred by secrecy on who benefits, with reports of
politicisation where Zanu PF supporters are allegedly being prioritised.
Mutasa added: “People are starving in homes, we therefore
expected him to be elaborate on social assistance especially criteria and
allocations per household. The $200 cushion allowance from government is
inadequate.”
He also said Mnangagwa should have announced a moratorium
on termination of employment contracts as well as guaranteeing income security
for all workers.
“Again, he ought to have pronounced measures of assisting
ailing businesses which are genuinely not able to pay salaries, bank loans,
rentals and other operational costs in order to protect jobs. Special
assistance should also be targeted at SMEs and informal traders.
“By now, stakeholders should have an indication of how the
government intends to address post-lockdown economic recovery. This builds
confidence and reduces anxiety.”
Mutasa said Mnangagwa should also have addressed the issue
of price increases on basic commodities while basic services such as
electricity and water should have been provided for free.
The opening of the mining industry, Mutasa said, was also
of concern as the sector is susceptible to respiratory diseases such as
tuberculosis and pneumoconiosis, making the workers more vulnerable to COVID-19
infections.
There was also need, Mutasa said, to first establish health
and safety protocols in manufacturing companies before lifting restrictions on
the sector. He said the issue of public transport should have been addressed
for the safety of the workers.
Chalton Hwende, the MDC secretary-general said needy people
ought to be assisted by government during the extended lockdown.
“We expect the government to increase the number of tests
that are being conducted, they also must increase the social welfare grants to
the vulnerable members of our community who will now obviously struggle put
food on the table,” he said.
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu also pointed out that
measures to cushion the general citizenry announced by Mnangagwa were too weak
and warned this would backfire on him.
“While this (lockdown) may help in slowing the rate of
infection, the decision worsens an already bad economic situation moreso among
vulnerable groups in the informal sector,” he said.
“The leadership is caught between a rock and a hard place
in the sense that people may survive COVID-19, but not hunger. A social welfare
net is needed and government must pool all its resources to ensure that
vulnerable people do not die of hunger. Overally, Zimbabwe’s economy will sink
into a deeper and darker hole in 2020. This may further raise socio-political
tensions.”
Sten Zvorwadza, chairperson of the National Vendors Union
of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) said his members had been condemned to starvation by the
extended lockdown period.
“The extension of the lockdown is a good preventative
measure against coronavirus but it is also an ultimate final nail on the
coffins of the majority of vendors who have no incomes to buy at least one meal
per day for their families,” Zvorwadza said.
“Government is failing to do the simple thing of availing
support to the hunger-stricken vendors locked in homes.
They have the resources, whatever they have, should be
given to those intended. According to the assessment done, informal workers are
at high risk of starvation during the lockdown period because they work from
hand to mouth on a daily basis”.
He said it was naive for government to just impose a
further two-week lockdown without consulting the affected workers through their
respective organisations on the impact suffered so far during the 21-day
lockdown period.
He said the situation was going to be worse for the vendors
after the lockdown after the destruction of vending stalls by the Ministry of
Local Government. Newsday
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