Zimbabwe has imposed new lock-down rules following the spike of Covid-19 cases in the country.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, Constantino Chiwenga in a statement broadcasted live read out the new rules which are meant to curb the spread of the novel virus.
Said Chiwenga, “We have seen the number of covid-19 cases and deaths almost double 2 months from 8274 on one November. The number of covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe in light of the recent search in covid-19 cases the following stiff measures are being put in place with immediate effect”.
These are the added restrictions to the new lock-down rules
Gatherings are being reduced to no more than 30 people at funerals.
All other gatherings at weddings churches, bars, bottle, stores, restaurants etc are banned for 30 days
The curfew will start from 6 pm and end at 6 am
People must stay at home save for buying food and medicine or transporting sick relatives
As for schooling only examination classes are to open
Cross border trading stopped forthwith
Only essential services are to remain open such as hospitals, supermarkets and pharmacies and the services can only open at 8am and close at 3pm.
All formal business and informal business are suspended from the 5th of February 2021 for 30 days.
Interprovincial travel restricted to essential services
Restaurants, bottle stores and Bars are banned
The VP reiterated that mining, manufacturing and agriculture are essential services that will run as usual.
Miners in Zimbabwe have faced challenges in the level 2 lock-down facing constant challenges and harassment from Police at roadblocks.
Some small-scale gold miners in Maramba, Mashonaland East were in August 2020 detained for hours by police for travelling at night despite the mining sector being exempted from the national lockdown regulations and the curfew order.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, the small-scale miners who spoke on condition of anonymity said despite carrying exemption letters from their parent ministry, they were detained by the police for travelling at night on mining business.
“We were transporting our mining consumables from Harare to Maramba in Mashonaland East on Sunday, but because our truck developed a mechanical fault while in Harare, we ended up travelling at night.
“While we did not encounter any challenges along the way, trouble started when we got to Mutawatawa Business Centre where we were detained by the police for travelling at night,” said one of the miners.
He said police at Mutawatawa Business Centre detained them from 8 pm to around 2 am. At the time the curfew was from 6 pm to 6 am.
Another small-scale miner who suffered the same fate said chances are high that there are also fellow miners around the country who were facing the same predicament and called on the law enforcement agents to take into consideration that the mining sector falls under the essential service.
“If more investigations could be done, you would find out that there are also fellow miners elsewhere across the country who have faced the same predicament as us. We are, therefore, making a clarion call to the law enforcement agents not to detain us for moving around at night on mining business as long as we carry with us proper documentation,” said the miner.