Govt urged to stop politicking in COVID-19 fight
ZIMBABWE should stop politicking, selfaggrandisement and elitism patchwork in its response to the COVID-19 crisis, but engender sustainable solutions that would enable communities to outlive the coronavirus, ZimRights executive director Dzikamai Bere has said.
Bere was addressing a virtual meeting yesterday where he also launched a report titled Rights in Crisis which captures the story of COVID-19 from its genesis in Wuhan, China in December last year until Zimbabwe recorded its first case in March this year.
The report also looked at the devastating effects of the global pandemic on livelihoods and the transformative impact on the way people work, live and learn.
Bere said it was incumbent upon the government to ensure that its COVID-19 interventions were not self-serving but grounded on pro-poor policies which sought to leave no one behind.
The COVID-19 response, Bere said, should include strengthening of the country’s disaster preparedness though building strong government institutions, so that the country would not be caught unawares in the future.
“Instead of focusing only on patchwork and stopgap measures to avert the COVID-19 crisis, the government should engender lasting and sustainable solutions,” Bere said.
“Rather than it only being a time for repair it should be a time for reform. It is a time to build the resilience of communities in Zimbabwe for them to be able to outlive the coronavirus outbreak and to strengthen national institutions to withstand any future pandemics.”
Zimbabwe has been criticised over its lackadaisical response to the COVID-19 crisis which health expert claim has resulted in the spike in infections and deaths in recent weeks. Corruption and lack of accountability have also been cited in government’s chaotic response to the global pandemic. The human rights group also accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to justify a clampdown on anti-government voices.
Bere added: “As it stands, government actions and responses to the pandemic have been insufficient and have not been in tandem with the plight and needs of ordinary Zimbabweans.”
“Zimbabwe has the opportunity to rebuild following this COVID-19 crisis. However, a holistic approach to addressing the challenges that the country has faced over the past decades is required.
“Factors that have crippled the economy, weakened institutions and impoverished citizens, must be identified and addressed. Good governance, anti-corruption, and institution building are some of the key aspects that the country should focus on.”