(Last Updated on January 6, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Harare City Council Acting Mayor Stewart Mutizwa has urged residents to adhere to the set lockdown rules in an effort to curb the recent spike of Covid-19 cases which has seen the capital become the epicentre of the virus in the country.
He appealed to the residents to continue practising preventive measures while stressing out that the health facilities were already overwhelmed as cases continue to spiral out of control.
“Fellow residents, it is very sad that we are gathered here as we aim to reinforce government’s position on the current lockdown which started yesterday. We had hoped that maybe a new year would bring in better expectations against the coronavirus and many of us had relaxed and were no longer practising any preventative measures.
“As I speak right town, our great city has become the country’s coronavirus epicentre as figures continue to spiral beyond our control and that of an already overwhelmed health delivery system,” said Mutizwa during a press conference on Wednesday.
Mutizwa also warned vendors not to defy the orders as law enforcement agencies were going to be on high alert while pleading with the kombi operators to stop their illegal operations which were putting the public at risk.
“The city would want to warn vendors and other small to medium enterprises that have defied the government directive and continue to operate that the long arm of the law will catch up with them and they should stop forthwith all their operations. Transport operators continue plying certain routes in the city, mainly those that do not pass through the central business district.
“These routes include Dzivaresekwa-Machipisa, Westgate-Warren Park, Machipisa- Chitungwiza and other local routes in the city. I would like to urge transport operators to stop and consider the health of fellow residents ahead of monetary gains,” he added.
“Our frontline staff are already overwhelmed and let us not overburden them purposely. Let us make the little resources to good use by using them on deserving patients. We do not want to see unlicensed commuter omnibus operators on our roads, evading law enforcement agents yet spreading diseases.
“We want people indoors for the good of the society, not for selfish reasons. In the same vein, let me urge residents to stay indoors and help the nation to fight this disease. Together we can beat this.”
