This was revealed by the party’s chief whip in the National
Assembly, Pupurai Togarepi, who told NewsDay that it was
heart-breaking that coronavirus was ravaging the nation, and taking away close
colleagues, hence the need for the ruling party MPs to pray for “wisdom and
solutions”.
“How can we be happy when we are losing comrades like this?
It is difficult to see friends and colleagues passing on everyday like this,”
he said.
As of yesterday morning, Health and Child Care ministry
statistics showed that 1 217 people had died of COVID-19, while 33 388 cumulative
cases had been recorded.
Some of the people that succumbed to the respiratory virus
were top government officials that included ministers Sibusiso Moyo (Foreign Affairs
and International Trade), Joel Biggie Matiza (Transport and Infrastructural
Development) and former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services boss,
Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi, who were all buried on the same day last
week at the National Heroes Acre.
Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri and Manicaland
Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba are some of the high-profile
politicians that have succumbed to the deadly virus, as well as former Primary
and Secondary Education minister Aeneas Chigwedere.
The latest high-profile deaths from COVID-19 yesterday
included former Zanu PF legislator for Mbare and ex-Lands and Resettlement
deputy minister, Tendai Savanhu, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe boss Rosemary
Siyachitema and High Court judge Justice Clement Phiri.
“Today, all MPs countrywide are fasting in support of our
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the leadership of the country in the fight
against COVID-19. It is important that each of us takes a few minutes to pray
for our great nation,” Togarepi said.
He said the MPs were taking a cue from First Lady Auxillia
Mnangagwa’s calls for prayers.
“We said to ourselves, why don’t we, as representatives of
the people, talk to God through fasting today so that God gives our leadership
wisdom and ways to fight COVID-19,” Togarepi said.
“We are praying for all the ways that we can find, like
getting a vaccine and giving wisdom to our scientists here in Zimbabwe and
throughout the world to find solutions to COVID-19.”
He said the ruling party had also spoken to opposition MPs
on the need for unity in prayer.
“It is for all Zimbabweans across the political divide, but
you cannot say to other people come let us pray. They have their own ways of
doing things. But I spoke to the MDC-T chief whip Paurina Mpariwa, and she said
it was a noble idea and acknowledged that she was touched by the First Lady’s
move to want to pray. As for Zanu PF MPs, all of them are in the same prayer
mode today,” he said.
Despite the prayers, Zanu PF bigwigs stand accused of
looting millions of dollars of COVID-19 funds and neglecting local health
facilities.
The ruling party’s national chairperson Oppah
Muchinguri-Kashiri last year claimed COVID-19 was God’s punishment against the
West for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe. Newsday
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