by Tawanda Chiweshe
Government has clarified the tight lockdown, which became effective yesterday. A statement issued by the Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere clarified a number of issues, which included the opening of schools, the operations of journalists and cross border movements among others.
Regarding the education sector, Minister Muswere highlighted that schools would remain closed, while Government monitored the spreading pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examination classes will be allowed to take their examinations.
“Further to this, the nation is advised that teachers including invigilators as well as pupils sitting for exams will be given free passage to their respective schools, subject to then having a clearance letter from the Ministry authorities. For Higher and Tertiary Education students, classes will continue online while final exam classes will be allowed free passage to sit for their examinations,” he said.
Minister Muswere also addressed how journalists in the course of their duties should be treated by security services personnel at checkpoints and other areas.
“Media practitioners are considered to be part of essential services as stipulated in SI 200 and in this regard, pending the production of new Accreditation cards by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), journalists will continue to use 2019 Press cards, while the ZMC puts in place modalities for registration for the current year with immediate effect. Support staff for the media industry at large will have exemption letters issued through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on request from their media houses,” he said.
The Acting Minister also clarified that land borders remained closed people except to returning residents and cargo traffic.
“Pertaining to cross border movement, entry through land borders will only be permissible for citizens and returning residents upon production of valid COVID-19 Free Certificates issued within 48 hours. There shall be no exit of travellers through land border posts except for commercial and transit cargo transporting essential goods and services. It must be reiterated that only International Airports remain open to ordinary travellers for both exit and entry in which entry clearances are subject to strict production of COVID-19 Free Certificates,” he said.
Government has also taken a number of measures to ensure the safety of civil servants in view of the pandemic. To this end, it has reduced the size of the staff at work to under a third of its total staff complement.
“The Public Service Commission (PSC) has put in place measures to ensure safety of its workforce including streamlining the size of essential services workforce expected to be physically at work to 30% across Ministries. Face to face meetings have been suspended meanwhile strict COVID-19 protocols on PSC buses will be enforced. Knock-off time for Government employees shall be 1500hours,” the Minister said.
Minister Muswere highlighted that members of the public (and) entities in essential services such as mining, communication and telecommunication, agriculture production and security companies were advised that movement and exemption letters would now be issued by the respective line Ministries.
The introduction of tighter lockdown measures and the issuing of the statement came in the wake of a steep rise in COVID-19 infection and death cases over the past few weeks.
