Returnees intercepted

POLICE manning a roadblock at Ngundu Growth Point have intercepted 18 Zimbabwean returnees suspected to have sneaked into the country from South Africa.

The returnees have been taken to Rupangwana Isolation Centre in Chiredzi for mandatory Covid-19 testing and quarantining.

Provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula said the returnees were now safe at Rupangwana Isolation Centre where they would undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing and quarantining.

“We are working flat out to prevent the spread of the virus,” she added.

Chief Inspector Mazula said police would remain vigilant to ensure no border jumpers would sneak into the country and avoid being tested for Covid-19 and being quarantined.

She also encouraged traditional leaders in rural areas to report those returning to their areas of jurisdiction without undergoing testing for Covid-19 and mandatory quarantining.

“We encourage our traditional leaders to report any suspected returnees in their areas who might have skipped the border back into the country so that they get tested for the novel coronavirus and undergo mandatory quarantining.”

All Zimbabweans returning into the country from outside particularly Covid-19 hotspots, are mandated to undergo Covid-19 testing and quarantine for 21 days, in line with rules and regulations to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

According to provincial chair of the Covid19 information and publicity sub-committee Mr Rodgers Irimai, border jumpers were taking advantage of porous points along the country’s border with Mozambique and South Africa to sneak back into the country.

“Some of these returnees will be reluctant to go for testing and mandatory quarantining because they think they will be arrested by the police for illegally skipping the border,” said Mr Irimai.