UMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa uthi ilizwe lizathenga amajekiseni okwelapha umkhuhlane weCovid 19 maduze njalo uthi abezempilakahle yibo abazahlatshwa kuqala.
Kumbiko awethule ngoMgqibelo, uMnangagwa uthe eleZimbabwe liphakathi kokukhulumisana lamazwe alungisa amajekiseni la njalo uthe ingcwethi kwempilakahle zizacebisa uhulumende ukuthi yiphi ijekiseni amele ayithenge.
UMnangagwa ukhuze abantu abenza amadili leminye imibuthano esithi kumele batshiyane lakho lokhu ngoba bememethekisa umkhuhlane weCovid-19, wona obulale abantu abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu, 45, izolo.
Ababanjwe umkhuhlane lo bangamakhulu phose amahlanu, 476.
Lokhu kukhweze inani lasebebanjwe umkhuhlane lo eZimbabwe laya phezu kwenkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, 30,523.
Asebefile bonke sebefika phose inkulungwane eyodwa, 962.
Abantu ababhubhe kuliviki bagoqela abaphathintambo bakahulumende abathathu abathi uNkosikazi Ellen Gwaradzimba, uMnu Sibusiso Moyo loMnu Joel Biggie Matiza, yena obhubhe ngoLwesihlanu.
Bakhona njalo abake baba yiziphathamandla zikahuumende abagoqela uMnu Aeneas Chigwedere loMnu Pradzai Zimondi ababhubhe izolo.
UMnangagwa uthe kuqakathekile ukuthi abantu baqhubeke bezivikela ngokugqoka ama-mask ngendlela eqondileyo kanye lokuhlanzeka.
“Kumele sigqoke ama-mask ethu ngendlela eqondileyo ngaso sonke isikhathi, sivale amakhala lomlomo,” kutsho uMnangagwa.
“Kumele sihlale ngekhaya njalo siphume kuphela nxa kulesizatho esiqinileyo. Kumele sihlanzeke ngesikhathi sonke njalo singaminyani. Asitshiyaneni lokuya emicimbini.”
Kusenjalo, amabandla ezombusazwe athi kulusizi ukuthi liyanda inani labantu ababulawa yiCovid-19 kulezinsuku.
“Lokhu kuyatshengisa ukuthi ungabona umkhuhlane usuthatha labantu abaphezulu khonale labaphansi lapha ungakhethi, uyabe usugcwele indawo yonke,” kutsho isiphathamandla seZanu PF uMnu Believe Gaule.
Umsekeli wesikhulumeli seMDC Alliance uMnu Felix Magalela Mafa Sibanda yena uthi lanxa bekhala lemuzi zabo bonke abafi, udubo yikuthi iziphathamandla zikahulumende aziyilandeli imigoqo yokuzivikela kuCovid-19.
“Siyabakhalela bonke abatshiywe yizihlobo zabo ngenxa yokuthi imfa ayila mingcele… kodwa sibona ukuthi abakhulu beZanu PF baba lamaphathi lamadili,” kutsho uMnu Mafa.
Lanxa lisanda inani labantu ababulawa ngumkhuhlane lo mihla ngemihla, abanengi esigabeni sakoMangubo, ePlumtree, babikwa besawutshaya indiva lumkhuhlane.
“Noma ungaze ubatshele abanye uthi iCorona iyabulala, umuntu wakhona uyakuphendula esithi ‘yabulala bani,’” kutsho isakhamuzi uMnu Nicho Ndebele.