The ManicaPost
Editor’s Musings
Wendy Nyakurerwa- Matinde
Covid-19 has left Manicaland poorer, with several luminaries going to the world yonder, taking with them their beautiful visions and work ethic.
What a season.
Among the extinguished mega-stars are national heroine Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba (Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution), national hero Cde Moton Malianga (founding nationalist and Zanu PF Central Committee member), Dr Kombo James Moyana (first Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor), Professor Munashe Furusa (Africa University Vice-Chancellor) and Mr Joshua Maligwa (Town Clerk, City of Mutare).
The province’s latest prominent figure to go to sleep is Cde Luke Masamvu, a former Member of Parliament for Mutasa North Constituency.
Cde Masamvu, who was a super dad and an astute businessman, was 64 at the time of his death.
He is survived by 12 wives and 79 children — such a fine brood — all in tears.
But while these are some of the prominent names, several people in the serene environs of Manicaland have also lost their loved ones to Covid-19.
Wretched hearts are scattered across the province and beyond as families bid farewell to their loved ones in a way that none of us ever imagined two years ago.
There is no body-viewing and bodies are not taken home as per custom. From the funeral parlour, it is straight to the grave. Once there, the 30 relatives in attendance are urged to keep a distance as the body is lowered into the grave by either city health or funeral parlour officials.
The overwhelmed funeral attendants are almost always in a hurry to get the job done and rush off to the next burial.
Therefore within 30 minutes or so, the burial is done and a beloved mother, father, child, friend or relative is interred, never to be seen again.
The indescribable heart ache, the pain, oh the pain!
Ever since the beginning of the year, Zimbabwe had seen a surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths.
As of Wednesday the country recorded 34 864 positive cases, including 1 364 deaths and 29 471 recoveries since the first case was recorded on March 20, 2020.
In response to the surge in Covid-19 infections, the Government instituted a 30-day Level Four nationwide lockdown in January, which was then extended by another two weeks to February 15th.
Under the lockdown regulations, a 6pm to 6am curfew is being observed while inter-city travel is largely prohibited. Wearing of face masks and physical distancing is mandatory. In fact, going into a public space without wearing a face mask attracts a hefty fine of $5 000.
Only essential businesses are open from 8am-3pm. Schools, restaurants, bars, gyms and beauty spars are closed.
Almost two months into the second wave, it seems the country’s efforts are not in vain. Encouraging results are starting to emerge.
After peaking on January 14th at 1 112 new cases and then 70 deaths on January 25th, the trend for new cases and deaths started spiralling down during the last week of January.
However, these declining figures do not mean the nation should relax as the worst is far from over. In fact, health experts are already talking about the possibility of a third wave that could affect even more people.
Experts say the risk of new mutations emerging is high.
Countries like Spain, for example, had experienced a prolonged lull for several months, with very few cases recorded and businesses almost completely opened, only to be forced to shut down again after new variants of the virus emerged.
We do not want to go down that route.
But perhaps what is even more crucial is for Zimbabwean scientists to rise up to the occasion and contribute to the Covid-19 discourse. Zimbabwe needs to follow her own data based on emerging cases and researches. As it stands, it appears like the nation is relying too heavily on Western data and solutions.
This writer has found herself pondering if it is not detrimental to be relying on Western data when the demographic conditions of Zimbabwe are obviously different from those of the West.
Several weeks after new strains of Covid-19 were discovered in South Africa and several other countries, Zimbabwe is yet to conclude its genome sequencing study which will enable the nation to understand the exact variants that are present in the country.
This writer has been wondering, are we not shooting in the dark?
While Zimbabwe prides itself in being a highly literate country, Covid-19 has exposed the level of brain drain plaguing the country as most of the country’s best brains are doing wonders on other shores miles away from the Southern African nation.
A United States Zimbabwe-born scientist – Dr Tatenda Shopera – is part of a team that developed the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine at Pfizer Inc, an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. Zimbabwean-born epidemiologist, Professor Francisca Mutapi, is the deputy director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA) at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her recent exploits are expected to steer Africa’s response and management of the Covid-19 pandemic. Maybe the Zimbabwean based scientists are still locked up in their laboratories, busy studying the many strains of the virus and developing a vaccine. Maybe they are checking the efficacy – if any – of our own zumbani and kunatira.
We, the people of Zimbabwe patiently wait for the results.
Till next week, let’s chew the cud.
For feedback on Twitter @wendy.nyakurerwa.
