Kubhubhe abantu ababili ngoMgqibelo kwathi abedlula ikhulu – 104 batholakala bele COVID-19 eZimbabwe.
Lokhu kwenzakala ngesikhathi abathenga bethengisa impahla etshiyeneyo besithi umkhuhlane lo ubathwalise nzima.
Uhlangothi lwezempilakahle lubika ukuthi phakathi kwabantu abahlolwe batholakala bele COVID-19, abangamatshumi amathathu lane – 34 ngabahlala eHarare.
Kusukela ngoMbimbitho lonyaka, sokulabantu abedlula inkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili – 12,151 eZimbabwe abahlolwe batholakala bele COVID-19 kwathi abafika phose inkulungwane ezilitshumi – 9,984 baphepha kumkhuhlane lo. Sokubhubhe abedlula amakhulu amathathu – 318.
Isibhedlela seJohns Hopkins University sibika ukuthi emhlabeni wonke jikelele kulabantu abedlula izigidi ezifika phose amatshumi ayisitshiyangalombili – 76,3 million asebehlolwe batholakala bele COVID-19, kwabhubha abafika izigidi ezimbili – 1,7 million.
Umkhuhlane lo uthwalise nzima abaphila ngokuthengisa impahla etshiyeneyo. UNkosikazi Lydia Maphosa, okhokhela inhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations, uthi bathwele nzima abantu abathenga bethengisa impahla.
“Abathengisa ama fruits lama vegetables kunzima lakhathesi ngoba ezindaweni lapho akade besebenzela khona kuthe kuqhamuka lumkhuhlane kwathiwa kabame, bazakulungiselwa indawo eziqondileyo ezokuthi bayesebenzela khona. Lakhathesi ikhansili ayikalungisi ukuthi kumbe abantu bazakuyahlala laphana, ngaphandle kwabalutshwana ababelama shed abo ababevele besebenzela kiwo. Kodwa lanxa bekhona emashedini benjalo, akulabantu abathengayo ngenxa yokuthi abantu kabahambahambi njengoba umthetho usithi abantu kabahlale ndawonye.”
UNkosikazi Mary Maimbo, okuhlanganiso le eGwanda, uthi kunengi okubhekane labantu abaphila ngokuthengisa impahla.
“Lakhathesi isimo lokhe sisibi. Khathesi sikhangelane lekhefu lona leli eleKhisimusi, abantwana bayabe bekhangelele ukuthi bafuna labo izigqoko ezintsha, izicathulo ezintsha, badle ukudla okuhle labo, kodwa engxenye khonapho vele kuyabe kuvele kungela mali. Kulobunzima sibili, angifuni kuqamba amanga. Siphila esikhathini esibi, esibuhlungu kakhulu esokuthi manje senze njani. Akuphileki, nxa kungela mali.”
UNkosikazi Loice Gwangwara, ohlala eMarondera, uyakusekela lokhu.
“Ikusasa lethu kalimanga kuhle ku-informal sector ngoba khathesi angazi ukuthi even imali eyokuthi abantwana sibase esikolo next year sizayithatha ngaphi. Icapital yakhona eyokuthi ngiyewoda, akusela. Khathesi sikhangelane le holiday le eyeChristmas, abanye bayabe bejabula, besidla besenzani, thina asila mali. Saphazanyiswa kakhulu thina esiku informal sector even abantwana bethu, silezikwelede ezinengi ngapha ngamuva ezikolweni, asikwanisanga ukuthi siyebhadala imali ya this year. So next year, kuyabe sekufuneka ukuthi umntwana aye esikolo, kuyabe kufuneka imali yakhona. Ngibhadale imali ka2020, ngibhadale imali eka 2021, asazi lokuthi sizayithatha ngaphi.”
UNkosikazi Charity Mandishona uthi inhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations izama ngamandla wonke ukuthi incedise ukuthuthukisa abathengisa impahla ababhekane leCOVID-19.
“Sesabumba isikhwama semali esibizwa ngelokuthi yiResilient Fund esiyboleka amalunga ethu emaphandleni lemadolobheni ukuze baqhube inhlelo ezingabasiza ukulondoloza imuli zabo kanye lokuthi bathole ukudla. Sesisungule njalo uhlelo lokubakhuthaza ukuba basebenzisane bendawonye njengoba ekuqaleni, yilowo lalowo obezenzela okwakhe, ekubuyeni komkhuhlane we COVID-19.”
UMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa wethule umbiko ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa oveze ukuba liyakhuphuka inani labatholakala bele COVID-19 eZimbabwe.
“Injongo yethu yikwehlisa udubo olulethwe yiCOVID-19, sehlise lamathuba wokusabalala kwawo lumkhuhlane. Lenani labahlaselwa lokubulawa yilo umkhuhlane lalo lehle. Singanelisa ukululungisisa udubo olulethwe yilo umkhuhlane enhlangothini ezehlukeneyo zomnotho, nxa singaphumelela ukwehlisa ukusabalala kwagciwane lakhona.”
Banengi abantu abathi ukumemetheka kwegciwane leCOVID-19 sokuphambanise indlela abaphila ngayo. Abanye bathi kunzima lokuzivikela kumkhuhlane lo ngenxa yendlala.
