Reawakening the human spirit in Covid-19 fight
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa should be applauded for proclaiming tomorrow, Monday June 15, a day of prayer and fasting as Zimbabwe steps up efforts to fend off Covid-19.
He announced the special day on Thursday.
Zimbabweans are, therefore, expected to heed this call in their millions tomorrow as they seek the hand of God to rescue the nation from the disease that has wreaked havoc and upset livelihoods globally.
President Mnangagwa has said the threat posed by the pandemic continues to hang over Zimbabwe, hence the need to do all we can to vanquish it.
Over the past few weeks, Zimbabwe has witnessed a significant increase in coronavirus infections, which stood at 343 as of Friday, mainly from returnees from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Botswana.
The spike has raised alarm and it is only in order that the President has called the nation to prayer.
Zimbabwe is largely a Christian nation and expectations are that many will heed the call and raise their voices to the Maker.
The Bible in 2 Chronicles 7 vs 14 states that: “If my people who are called by my Name will humble themselves and pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
While scientifically a cure has not been found yet, with laboratories in Africa and beyond currently at work to find one for the disease that has killed at least 400 000 people globally, marshalling the moral and spiritual oomph will help reawaken the human spirit needed to wage the war and win against the pandemic.
The United States of America, Brazil, Tanzania and Botswana, among other countries, have since held special days of prayer.
In Zimbabwe, this initiative, announced by President Mnangagwa a few days ago, will be led from State House, where leaders of Zimbabwe’s church body will be in attendance.
“Let us offer prayers of petition to the Lord that He might grant us His Mercy, deliver us from this noisome pestilence and give us the wisdom to take the effective steps to overcome it,” said the President on Thursday as he announced the day of prayer and fasting.
He has, in many instances, called on the Church to step up to the plate in finding lasting solutions to the country’s challenges.
This illustrates that he views the Church as a critical cog in the success of the Second Republic, a view shared by many.
On Thursday, the President allowed Churches to resume gatherings of not more than 50 people.
This has been received well by many church leaders and congregants who commended the President for taking such a stance, describing it as strategic in the fight against Covid-19.
This is seen as a giant step that will give impetus to the fight while spiritually empowering Zimbabweans to overcome the disease.
Africa has started witnessing rapid infections, with its leaders expressing grave concern over this.
On Thursday, the African Union (AU) held a virtual meeting of Heads of State and Government to discuss strategies to deal with the pandemic.
In Zimbabwe, the virus has so far claimed four precious lives, while 5 000 brothers and sisters on the continent have also succumbed.
The coronavirus could not have caught Zimbabwe at a worse time.
It forced Harare to close at a time when it was opening up to the rest of the world.
However, the President has been pragmatic enough to relax the lockdown and allow the informal sector to resume after registering with the local authority to formalise their operations.
He has also insisted on strict adherence to life-saving hygienic practices such as wearing face masks, social distancing and sanitising.
It is clear that this country has so far managed to maintain that delicate balance of reopening for business and at the same time scrupulously insisting on health guidelines designed to keep the disease in check.
This will likely steer us through current challenges and ensure coronavirus, as President Mnangagwa said last week, would become a hurdle that we will determinedly leap over on our way towards a prosperous future.