Covid-19: returnees check into hotels

GOVERNMENT is accommodating returning residents in private hotels and lodges and $175 million has been allocated to cater for their welfare and the upgrading of quarantine facilities.

The decision to put returnees in quarantine facilities is meant to ensure that they are cleared of Covid-19, minimising risk of spreading the virus.

In Bulawayo, Khumalo Hotel in Kumalo and Standard Hotel in the city centre have been identified as some of the quarantine facilities housing returning residents together with Insinga Youth Centre situated in Barham Green. Khumalo Hotel is housing female returnees while Standard Hotel and Insinga Youth Centre are accommodating males.

In Harare, Courteney Hotel is one of the new quarantine facilities.

Since the country recorded the first Covid19 case in March, most of the confirmed cases were from citizens returning from South Africa, Botswana, United Kingdom among other countries.

The returnees were housed in schools and colleges before Government resolved that the institutions must be evacuated in preparation for their reopening.

Bulawayo Polytechnic College and United College of Education were used as the main quarantine facilities for returnees in Bulawayo. Returnees at both colleges were removed over the weekend in preparation for the colleges reopening on Monday with some of them being placed in local hotels.

In Bulawayo, 134 returnees are still quarantined although authorities did not give specific details of the number of people at each facility. Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said Government used hotels as quarantine facilities due to shortage of alternative public infrastructure to house returnees.

“We really had to make sure that whatever we are paying does not come near commercial rates being paid at bigger hotels. We are using private hotels but the expensive ones we are not using as Government. The expensive ones are where people are paying for themselves. But what we have done is that we are using budget hotels which means those that are not costly,” said Minister Mavima.

“We have that arrangement in Harare and similar arrangements in Victoria Falls. I know there are lodges and similar facilities that have been acquired for that purpose. This has been necessitated by the fact that we had to move out of schools as well as institutions of higher learning.”

He said usage of hotels is not permanent as Government was renovating some vocational training centres among other institutions to make them conducive for habitation.

“The Ministry has been given a budget of $175 million for the purposes of taking care of the quarantine centres. So, it also means that whatever amount we are paying to these facilities is coming from that budget. So far, $125 million has already been released to us and only $50 million is outstanding. Should we need additional resources we will have to go to finance. But this was a very tactical decision that we had to make because we had run out of space to put returnees,” said Minister Mavima.

He said Government was also addressing issues to do with delays in testing of returnees for Covid-19 during their stay in holding facilities.

Returning residents are expected to stay for 21-days in quarantine facilities before being released to communities. “The situation was very bad about two to three weeks ago but Government then assigned Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care (Dr John Mangwiro) to be responsible for coordinating logistics and make sure that tests kits are available and also that results from the tests are delivered as quickly as possible. And we have seen a lot of improvements,” he said.

Prof Mavima said the donation of 30 000 tests kits by China will also address problems associated with delays in conducting mandatory Covid-19 tests and releasing returnees from holding facilities.

Hospitality Industry Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) chairperson Mr Arnold Musonza said players in the sector are benefiting under the Government programme to quarantine returnees in their facilities.

He said accommodating returnees in hotels could also address the problem of them escaping from holding facilities.

“It’s a good thing that some of the hotels have been identified for that and offered those services. It also helps those owners to get income during these hard times because a lot of such facilities are closed down and are unable to get any income yet they still have fixed costs to take care of,” he said.

“But you also need to know that what they are offering is basically public service because they can’t be offering services like they are offering to the leisure market. In a nut shell they are recovering costs.” — @nqotshili

THE Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who did not make any direct contributions to the acquisition of immovable property can be awarded a 50 percent share upon divorce.

Justices Ben Hlatshwayo, Chinembiri Bhunu and Tendai Uchena made the ruling in the case of Govati Mhora versus Emmaculata Mhora divorce matter in which the former was challenging the decision by the High Court to award the respondent a 50 percent share of their Harare matrimonial home on grounds that she had never made any direct contribution to the acquisition of the property.

Mr Mhora stated that the house was acquired through his individual effort and he singlehandedly raised the payment for the said property.

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the lower court’s judgment.

According to the judgment, the court considered Mrs Mhora’s indirect contributions and came to the conclusion that she should be awarded a 50 percent share of the immovable property.

It said over the years courts have awarded considerable shares in immovable property to spouses when they did not make direct contributions towards acquisition, but noted that each case is dealt with according to its merit and circumstances.

“The court a quo took into consideration the indirect contribution made by the respondent in taking care of the family and the household through the non-financial means for a period of close to five decades. It also took into consideration the fact that the respondent also took care of three of the appellant and the other wife (divorced) and two children born out of wedlock. The court considered the 47 years of marriage and the indirect contributions and expectations flowing from such a long marriage. It also took into account the age of the respondent who is aged 65 and that she was past her prime age and there was no possibility of remarriage,” reads part of the ruling.

The court cited other matters in which spouses were awarded 35 percent share and 50 percent share.

“However, it must be borne that in mind that each case must be dealt with according to its own circumstances and merit. I am of the view that the circumstances of this case justify the awarding of a 50 percent share of the immovable property,” reads part of the ruling.

Gweru lawyer, Mrs Takashinga PamachecheMubonesi of Gundu, Dube and Pamacheche Legal Practitioners said the ruling is a welcome transition in the recognition of women’s rights as provided for in the Constitution.

She said the ruling recognises the important role of women in marriage as well as in the home.

Mrs Pamacheche-Mubonesi said the SC ruling noted the need to recognise the vital motherly duties and their contribution to acquisition of assets and property within marriages. “Most outcomes have been agreements between the parties after a round table. In most cases it’s the men who have been prone to raise it as a defence that the woman or wife has not made financial contribution in the acquisition of assets or property,” she said.

The director of the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) Mrs Abigail Matsvayi said when divorcing, it is important for both parties to consider contributions that each part made while married.

She said it’s not just about financial contributions as women contribute in different ways which include taking care of the children and upkeep of the family.

“These contributions can be financial and nonfinancial. And when separating or divorcing, you ought to give each part what is due to them based on what they contributed in marriage. For women in particular as they are mostly disadvantaged, this judgement enables them to get a fair share of the immovable property. Generally, this SC ruling is a good reason for women to celebrate,” said Mrs Matsvayi.