It was just over a year ago, November 2019, that the world learned of the corona virus outbreak in China. By March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a world pandemic.
Corona virus has spread round the globe like wild fire. As of the end of November 2020, a year since the first cases in China, there were 13.9 million confirmed cases and 273 000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University report. The true figure is much, much high; many countries, especially in Africa, have not hardly followed the WHO test, trace and track protocol.
As of yesterday, 2 nd December 2020, Great Britain approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. A 21 gun salute to all those involved in this milestone achievement.
Judging from the time it took to develop the Ebola virus vaccine, the corona virus vaccine was developed in record time.
The first Ebola virus outbreak was in 2011 with the most serious outbreak two and half years latter in March 2014. There were over 28 000 reported cases and over 11 000 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Europe approved the M&A Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November 2019; eight years after the first Ebola virus case.
The Pfizer/BioNtech corona virus vaccine was not only developed in record time, it is a novel vaccine too.
The corona virus virion is tiny, 0.1 micron in diameter. A really sharp razor blade is 0.3 micron wide; wide enough for three corona virus to march three abreast like Roman Soldiers down a highway.
What the Pfizer/BioNTech scientist have done is cut open this 0.1 micron sphere, find its DNA, snip off the genetic code instructing the virus to grow its characteristic porcupine quills, the corona virus spike protein.
The Pfizer vaccine delivers the snipped off genetic code into the human body which then instruct the human cells to grow the characteristic spike protein. The body’s own defence system recognised the porcupine cells as invaders and produce white cells and T-cell to destroy the invaders.
The next time the body is invaded by the corona virus the body will remember the characteristic spike protein and produce the appropriate white and T-cells to attack the virus.
The summit of science!
If it is not tempting providence, it is fair to say the accelerating advances in technology has left mankind wiser and better prepared than ever before at whatever nature throws at us! At least those nation who have embraced technology!
As far as corona virus was concerned, Zimbabwe was a sitting duck! The outbreak occurred at a time when the country’s economy was in total meltdown and its health care services all but in total collapse. Zimbabwe did not have the money to buy the PPE to issue to frontline workers, to buy the tests kits to keep track of the virus, the hospital equipment and staff to deal with the corona virus cases.
The little PPE, tests kits, etc. Zimbabwe received throughout this period was donated. Now that the vaccine is available, the country will be adding it to its long begging list; we have begged for everything!
Zimbabwe was not even is a position carry out even the most basic corona virus prevention measures like washing one’s hands regularly because most Zimbabweans have no access to clean running water. It has become normal for households in urban centres and even big institutions like schools and hospitals to have no clean running water for weeks and even months at a time!
Back in 1980, when the country attained her independence, Parerenyatwa Hospital was one of the top ten hospitals in Africa, well equipment and staffed. Even before the corona virus outbreak, there were reports of doctors cancelling even the most basic surgical operations because there were no painkillers. The hospital was having to wash bandages and no water to wash them with.
Who can forget how head of the paediatric unit Azza Mashumba wept openly describing the state of affairs at public hospitals.
"I come to work to certify dead babies!” wept Dr Azza Mashumba, head of the paediatric unit.
Zimbabwe’s health care service, the economy, etc. have all but collapse not because for the last 40 years the country’s ruling elite have creamed off the nation’s wealth to build mansions and bankroll their lavish lifestyles. Mugabe’s sprawling Blue Roof mansion, there are many others for his cronies, is Zimbabwe’s answer to the Greeks’ Parthenon.
The Parthenon was built to honour the Goddess Athene and to mark Greece’s golden age of unparalleled prosperity, innovation and intellectual advance. The Blue Roof was built to honour corruption and greed and triggered Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown - the age of the mindless demagogues.
Zimbabwe has been truly luck that the corona virus has not been as deadly as Ebola! Still the availability of the corona virus vaccine is a very well come development, the country will get some in its begging bowl.
The corona virus was not only a health hazard, it has caused serious economic disruption. Many economies have shrunk by as much as 10% plus in the last year. Corona virus has brought about a worldwide economic depression and it will probably take ten years or so to fully recovery to the pre-corona virus level.
Economic depression bite hard those in the developed world and swallow whole those in the poor developing nations. A country like Zimbabwe which had the economic meltdown before the corona virus outbreak is in serious, serious trouble. There will be no vaccine for bad governance.
Zimbabwe must now bite the bullet and address the problem of bad governance, the age of the mindless demagogues, the root cause of the country’s economic meltdown. We know the cure is to implement the reforms and thus ensure free, fair and credible elections. The nation has paid dearly for having allowed the Zanu PF dictatorship take root all these last 40 years and now the nation must act or the years ahead will be hell-on-earth.
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COVID-19 cases continue to spike, with 114 new cases recorded yesterday, taking the number of active cases to 1 295.
All the 114 cases are local transmissions, which has seen experts raising concern that citizens were now taking a casual approach to fighting the spread of the pandemic.
Yesterday, 1 862 PCR tests done.
No deaths were reported yesterday, while 28 new recoveries were noted.
As of yesterday, Zimbabwe has recorded 10 243 cases, 8 671 recoveries and 277 deaths.
Zimbabwe has no test, trace and tracking system worth the spit! The country has seen a number of corona virus cases in school with over 400 students and so has failed to carryout tests on all the students much less the follow up tests.
Zimbabwe was very lucky corona virus is not as deadly as Ebola otherwise we would be in serious trouble!
Firebrand opposition grandee, Job 'Wiwa' Sikhala, had joined other MDC bigwigs in calling for dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, to end the country's myriad challenges.
In an interview yesterday, the larger-than-life Zengeza West legislator said this new position was not a climbdown from his hawkish previous stance towards Mnangagwa, the government and Zanu-PF.
MDC A has been calling for dialogue with Mnangagwa leading to the power sharing arrangement, a new GNU. This will be the second GNU after the 2008 to 2013 GNU that failed to get even one meaningful reform implemented. There is nothing to suggest this new GNU will be any better.
What MDC leaders like Chamisa, Tendai Biti and others are after is a chance to return to cabinet and have the ministerial limos, salary, etc. All talk of implementing “comprehensive reforms” is all hot air; why did they fail to implement even one reform during the 2008 GNU when Zanu PF had its hands tied by the 2008 Global Political Agreement and had all the political support from SADC!
Mnangagwa rigged the 2018 elections and his regime is illegitimate. MDC A should have never participated in the 2018 elections. Zimbabwe is in this mess because the country is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs. A new GNU will not transform the pariah state into a democracy.
The way forward is for Zanu PF to step down to create the political space for a competent body to be appointed to implement the reforms. The country needs a solution to its political paralysis and economic meltdown and not another GNU gimmick!
Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is a man-made crisis; 40 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness have taken a heavy toll on the nation. It took nearly 20 years for the majority of Zimbabweans to finally admit that Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were corrupt and incompetent and that the nation would need to implement democratic reforms to stop the party extending its rule by rigging elections.
The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they will implement the democratic reforms necessary to end the culture of rigged elections. After 20 years, 5 of which in the GNU, MDC has failed to implement ever one reform.
Sadly, MDC leaders have sold-out on reforms; they have struck a deal with Zanu PF to do nothing about the reforms in return for a share of the spoils of power.
The people of Zimbabwe have been very slow to realise Zanu PF’s de facto one party dictatorship and now they once again slow in realising MDC have sold-out of reforms. The corona virus outbreak occurred when Zimbabwe was already in serious trouble because of decades of misrule. The pandemic has dragged the nation into even greater economic trouble making the task of economic recovery even tougher.
If the people of Zimbabwe think this corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime is ever going to get the nation out of this mess then they sure need their collective head examined. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery. And as long as MDC remains in any position of power, Zanu PF will remain in power.
@ Dudu
“Guramatunhu Bhururu and Zimbabweans at large, please do not be excited by a new vaccine which has not been proven on the landscape. lf you were talking about a painkiller, l would let you celebrate. But, for this new and risky unproven vaccine which is yet to be seen, hold your horses.
Ndapota!!!”
Point taken!
Still, vaccine or no vaccine we must sort out the problem of bad governance because as long as the country remains a pariah state, it will continue to sink deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth Zanu PF landed us into.
@ Chekai
“The political events on the ground already indicate what will happen in 2023 when political parties will bid for the occupation of the State House. While the time to prepare for such contestation is now, one of the political protagonists has chosen to major in things that will not bring votes on the table. Unfortunately for that protagonist, its rival who already enjoys the benefits of incumbency has hit the ground running regards preparation for the plebiscites.
“A form four pupil who spent the whole year engaged in non-scholarly activities and never found time to study has no one to blame when he miss the mark. This is exactly what the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa is doing. They have chosen to be criticizers and not an alternative government. The day of reckoning shall come for the MDC Alliance.”
What are you bubbling about! Zanu PF has won elections in the past because the party has carte blanche draconian powers to rig the elections. It is impossible to lose an election in which one has complete control of the voters’ roll, the voting process, the counting, the announcement of the results, etc., etc. Chamisa and his MDC A friends have participated in these flawed and illegal elections for the sake of winning the few gravy train seats on offer.
Tendai Biti, Job Sikhala and a few other MDC A bigwigs did win the gravy train seats on offer. And as the party leaders, Chamisa is getting 20% of the party’s share of Political Party Finance (Act) payout. Last time it was $3.4 million and so Chamisa pocketed $680 000.00 - pretty good wages so the Judas Iscariot kiss!
The real losers here are the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who have risked life and limb to elect MDC into power on the understanding the party will bring about the democratic changes the nation has been dying for all these years.
“The day of reckoning shall come for the MDC Alliance!” How naive can you be!
@ Nomazulu
"If our personal behaviour does not align with what we propagate as activists, we cannot successfully fight gender-based-violence." The double bind is fear to confront painful issues and the culture of silence that is embedded in our societies, we are reticent to takes action to combat gender-based violence. We must learn to love and respect women and girls: we must learn to protect them from unnecessary pain of sexual abuse and physical violence. Nyaradzai Gumbodzvanda talks about shift value at personal level; home budgets should be caring ones by providing what our children love most as signs of love and appreciation of girl- children. By so doing they will not seek "sweets and biscuits" outside the home, from strangers.”
It is tragic that the greatest losers of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown of the last 20 years are girls and women; all the gains the country had made in trying to create a more just and equal society have been lost. The economic meltdown has left many parents, especially the poor, with the difficult choice of educating one child and more often than not the boy will be favoured. The economic meltdown has seen an increase in violence and more often than not the women are the victims.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption and unless we do something to restore rule of law and good governance the country will continue to seek into the abyss. And our women folk who are at the bottom of the social and economic packing order will suffer the most!
@ Mavaza
“Many governments around the world do right to adopt a stance of non-interference in the USA post -election situation. We refrain not because the USA is a superpower but we do so because non- interference with the internal affairs of sovereign state is the right thing to do. We do so because we not only do we respect the democratic right of Americans to choose but also their right to resolve an election aftermath issues.
“We invite ambassador…… ( USA ambassador to Zimbabwe) who has a perchance for meddling, to reflect on the stance we take and learn therefrom.”
No one stopped you commented on the USA election process. President Trump has made his claims of fraud and election rigging but even AG William Barr, appointed by Trump and who has been very supportive of the President, has since said there is no evidence of cheating.
When the Americans dismissed Zimbabwe’s election as a farce they gave the evidence to support it. ZEC has failed, even to this day, to produce a verified voters’ roll. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections that is a fact and stating it does not constitute interfering in the internal affairs of the country. You are just a pathetic Zanu PF apologist desperate for an excuse to remain relevant!
In desperate, attempts to bid for whoever they work for, they claim that I am now of changed heart that I urge people to engage with Emmerson Mnangagwa. My foot!!
This is the rubbish of the century. I have got no grain of respect for Emmerson Mnangagwa for their record and will never wish a right thinking person to even talk to him.
Blessing Mushava met me at Parliament and asked me about my Tweet calling upon Zimbabweans to unite. In his mind he thought my Tweet meant unity with Mnangagwa.
And yet you did participate in the July 2018 elections and, in doing so, gave the flawed and illegal elections some credibility and, by extension, the vote rigging Zanu PF regime legitimacy.
Whilst it is true that you were not a member of any of the two MDC factions in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, it is nonetheless true that you, Job Sikhala, has never criticised the MDC leaders for failing to implement even one reform during the GNU. Why?
When push comes to shove, you will participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms in place; Mnangagwa and Zanu PF knows that hence the reason why he will never implement any reforms. Why would he risk losing the elections when he can rig and get legitimacy from you regardless!
Job Sikhala you posturing and grandstanding is all very well for the naive and gullible MDC supporters, just remember that not all Zimbabweans are dumb and stupid!
"The Judiciary is vital towards the attainment of both vision 2030 as well as aspiration number three of the African Union Agenda 2063 which calls for 'an Africa of good governance, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law'," Mnangagwa said.
Since coming into office in 2017, Mnangagwa has pledged reforms, especially around respect for human rights, political freedoms and respect of the Constitution, but critics say abuses have worsened under his watch.
"The second republic is determined to enhance national cohesion, economic growth and prosperity and to build an environment where our people can rise to their full potential.
"There is no going back on the development course we have charted.
"To this end, the JSC is a critical State institution in our ongoing reform agenda with regards entrenching constitutionalism and the rule of law as building blocks in our national development agenda," Mnangagwa said.
This is hypocrisy at its worst! Here is someone who blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections after promising free, fair and credible elections and to add insult to injury insisted the elections were free and fair. How can the elections be free and fair when the regime failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll.
Are we then to believe Mnangagwa rigged the July 2018 elections for the altruist purpose of “enhancing national cohesion, economic growth and prosperity”.
@ William Nkomo
“All the resources to mitigate the Corona Virus were plundered and abused by the Zanu Pf elite..
“A simple Covid test is pegged at an average of $50, I shudder to think how much will be a jab now be.
“With the extent of corruption and bad governance, we can expect some none potent vaccines being administered due to improper or disrupted cold chain.”
Zimbabwe, like so many other third world countries, will get donated dosses of the vaccine for free (not some time soon, of course). The ruling elite and their cronies will jump the queue and be the first ones to get the jab. After that the ruling elite will be setting up logistic companies who will get the lucrative contracts to distribute the vaccine, they will sell the vaccine to private hospitals who will then charge an arm and leg for the jab, etc.
And given Zanu PF’s blundering incompetence we can be 100% certain a significant amount of the vaccine will go to worst. How many times have we heard of millions of dollars of drugs being thrown away because the drug was not stored properly, it expired, etc.
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because of 40 years of bad governance and we are not getting out of this hell-hole until we sort out this problem of bad governance. If Zimbabwe remain a pariah state then millions of Zimbabweans will not get the corona virus vaccine for years to come, if at all, because that is in the nature of dictatorship, they do not care about the ordinary man, woman and child!
Zimbabweans have done nothing to end the Zanu PF dictatorship for 40 years now and have paid dearly for it. The price for burying our heads in the sand has just gone up in terms of the heart breaking human suffering and deaths.
Nations often get the government they deserve; we certainly deserve this Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of corrupt and utterly useless opposition parties!
ZANU-PF acting spokes-person Patrick China-masa yesterday took praise-singing to a new level, describing President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the country's own Mbuya Nehanda, an ancient ancestral spirit from the 19th century considered holy and powerful in local lore.
Mnangagwa's government is constructing a giant stature of Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, a spirit medium also known as Mbuya Nehanda at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way in the capital Harare.
The truth is Mbuya Nehanda and the thousands of other Zimbabweans who lost their lives fighting for freedom and human dignity are all turning in their graves to see how the country has, seamlessly, moved from white colonial oppression to black oppression. Mbuya Nehanda would not be amused to be compare to someone whose hands are bright red with the blood of the many innocent Zimbabweans Zanu PF has murdered to establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship we hand lived under these last 40 years!
The Zanu PF dictatorship has imploded, the November 2017 coup was just one manifestation of dog-eat-dog fighting tearing the party apart. Patrick Chinamasa is trying hard to remain relevant by ingratiating himself to those in power to save his own skin. Zanu PF is doomed; the writing is on the wall.
Future generations will know who Mnangagwa was and the pivotal roll he played in the destruction of Zimbabwe’s economy and in the murder of over 30 000 Zimbabweans for political gain. History already know who Mbuya Nehanda was and will never ever compare her to a murderous tyrant like Mnangagwa. Never ever!
ZIMBABWE is set to miss out on the Covid-19 debt relief specifically set aside by the European Union for African countries because of its bad debtor tag.
"The EU is committed to furthering international debt relief efforts for African countries. The Council today approved a set of conclusions in response to a call from the European Council of 15-16 October 2020 to prepare a common approach in this respect. The conclusions highlight the increasing debt vulnerability in low income countries, particularly in Africa, and underscore the EU's support for a coordinated international approach on debt relief efforts for African countries," read part of the EU statement.
"The Council welcomes the G20-Paris Club Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which offers a temporary debt moratorium to the poorest countries to help them manage the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its extension until 30 June 2021 with the possibility of a further extension by six months. It commits to a full and transparent implementation of this initiative…"
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs. Even if all Zimbabwe’s debt was wiped clean the regime will only go out and borrow and spend just as recklessly as before and in no time the country’s debt will be yet another mountain with very little to show for it.
The EU and every other donor out there have better things to do with their money than pour into a blackhole! A pariah state Zimbabwe is a blackhole sucking everything and nothing, not even light can escape.
The people of Zimbabwe have to learn that nothing of substance can ever be accomplished until we do something to end the curse of bad governance.
@ Ndlovu
You are free to do business with who ever you like so why should it be illegal for the EU to say they will not do business with Zimbabwe? This is even more so with aid; why should it be illegal for EU to ask to be paid for what they are owed?
It is Zanu PF thugs who are holding the nation to ransom not EU!
There are many Zimbabweans for risked life and limb in the fight to end white colonial oppression and many paid dearly for it - with their very lives. Many of those died heroes and heroines are turning in their graves to see what black on black tyrannical oppression. Are do not think many of them regret they risked all for freedom and justice because that was a nobel cause.
Of course, one can understand the lady's disappointment but the fact remains that fighting for a just society is a good cause!
@ Luke
“The plumbing depth of this regime’s electoral and performance illegitimacy is now far much below the competence datum line. As the Mnangagwa regime rotters and stutters in its cluelessness, the people’s ambassadors under the able leadership of the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa must always hone new skills and prise open new frontiers of knowledge. In this respect, I humbly wish to thank the Almighty God that today, 4 December 2020, I successfully graduated at the University of Zimbabwe with a Master’s degree in International Relations.”
If you can still call Chamisa an “able leader” after all the damning evidence of his breathtaking incompetency and corruption, he and the other MDC leaders sold-out during the 2008 to 2013 GNU; then you are just a clueless MDC blind loyalist with an equally worthless master’s degree. Zimbabwe’s education system has gone to the dogs.
It is really a great pity that so many of our people have gone through our education system only to come out the other side having learned very little, if anything at all.
This year has been a total waste. Schools and colleges opened in January and closed in March for the corona virus lockdown. The finally reopened in September but there was very little schooling because the teachers were on strike, demanding a living wage. Next year will be another new academic year and so everyone will be expected to move one grade up even when it is clear the students have learned nothing.
Thanks to Zanu PF’s obsession with quantity at the expense of quality, Zimbabwe has become a nation of highly educated citizen only in terms of the years each has spent in formal education. Be glad if they can read and write; please don’t ask if they understand any of it - they have no clue. None!
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