Zimbabweans predict a tough 2021
senior government officials continued to be fingered in unprocedural tender- awarding processes.
Not only did the pandemic impact on the health sector, but the Finance ministry also had its own share of miseries. The lockdown disrupted business operations and this impacted heavily on payment of taxes, the major source of government revenue.
Southern Africa director for Human Rights Watch Dewa Mavhinga also said the biggest human rights challenge this year would be the right to health in the face of an ongoing and escalating public health crisis owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the continued economic meltdown was likely to trigger more protests and dissent against government
“The right to food is yet another human right which is likely to be violated this year,” Mavhinga said.
“Fifty percent of Zimbabweans are in dire need of food aid, but massive looting and mismanagement of command agriculture funds resulted in government failing to secure food for the nation.
“Worsening poverty and adverse economic conditions will likely lead to more protests as citizens demand better conditions of living. These protests may, however, be counterproductive as government is likely to respond to the protests with a heavy hand including violence and force especially given that the government has already shown that it does not tolerate criticism and freedom of expression.”
Mavhinga also said arbitrary arrests of protesters were likely to continue in the year 2021 and that many people were likely to be jailed for speaking against the establishment.
Employers Association of Tourism Operators president Clemence Mkwasi predicted that in the first quarter of the year 2021, there would be continued limited activity on international tourism as cross-border travelling was still restricted in most countries due to Covid-19.
He said foreign currency collections from tourism would not surpass 30% of the usual earnings in normal periods. Mkwasi also said an increase in tourists was expected in the third quarter after the rolling-out of the Covid-19 vaccines in several countries.
“In the event that the government does not impose another lockdown which restricts movement, there will be a surge in domestic tourism because amid the second wave of the coronavirus, borders will remain shut and locals will not travel abroad for tourism, but will be forced to make use of local tourism resort areas,” he said.
“Inactivity in international tourism will result in a fall in prices, which is likely to attract more local tourists this year. But if Covid-19 cases continue to surge and government imposes yet another lockdown, most tourism companies will liquidate, and it may take time for fallen players to be able to recover again while others will never make it.”
Education has also been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools reopened for less than four months throughout the year 2020, but the ministry has not come up with key policies to counter the disruptions by the pandemic.
Physical learning was suspended in April 2020 due to theCovid-19 lockdown and was scheduled to resume in September, but teachers went on strike, demanding better wages.
Government failed to consider the time lost and swiftly deal with the crisis in the Primary and Secondary Education ministry through meeting the teachers’ demands. Instead, Education minister Cain Mathema threatened to replace the 120 000 striking teachers with 10 000 unemployed teachers.
Just like what happened to the nurses, teachers were forced to return to work or risk having their contracts terminated.
No special consideration was given to promote rural education after government introduced online lessons during the lockdown on radio and television which were not accessible to rural pupils due to the digital divide which further marginalised the rural learner.
Due to poor planning and preparation, the reopening of schools was characterised by chaos as most public schools failed to adhere to the World Health Organisation guidelines on social distancing due to over-enrolment. The under-funded ministry did not have enough PPE for teachers who had also become frontline workers. This resulted in some schools closing mid-term following outbreaks of Covid-19 cases at several schools. Pupils that contracted the virus had to write exams in isolation.
Despite teachers’ union leaders calling for a postponement of the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations (Zimsec) examinations on the basis that the pupils had not yet covered essentials of the syllabi, Mathema insisted that pupils sit for the examinations. The Zimsec examinations were, however, characterised by leakages, omissions, missing pages and confusion of sitting dates, a clear indication of management failure by the ministry and poor preparation.
In the energy sector, uninterrupted power supply during the beginning of the year 2020 was a major improvement in the ministry which was then headed by Fortune Chasi. Under Chasi, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority managed to pay part of the debt owed to South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, to enhance supply of electricity which marked the end of an 18-hour load-shedding periods. Chasi was, however, fired from government by Mnangagwa, who, although he commended the minister for ensuring constant power supply, said his conduct was no longer consistent with his expectations.
Mnangagwa critics said Chasi was fired for blocking renowned fuel tycoon Kuda Tagwirei, believed to be linked to Mnangagwa, from engaging in corrupt fuel dealings. Chasi was replaced by little known Soda Zhemu, the Muzarabani North legislator.