1 8 M A Y , 2 0 2 0 V O L . 5 REALITIES NANGO newsletter documenting COVID-19 outbreak in .

“Government can’t draw budget from hot air” – Biti The government has been urged not to formulate a budget for disaster relief fund from ‘hot air’ as the country’s coffers are nearly dry.

These sentiments came out during a recent virtual Public Finance Management Reform Indaba conducted by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) to discuss prudent public resource management in the era of COVID-19.

Speaking during the meeting, lawyer and former Finance Minister, said that the government is not in a position to sustain financial obligations in response to COVID-19.

“Where is the ZWL18 billion stimulus package coming from because the government is broke? You can’t budget from hot air and that is why money for safety nets has not been distributed to all the vulnerable groups. “The problem is with the management of our public resources and not lack of finances. There is gross abuse of resources due I N T H I S I S S U E to lack of good governance systems and functions of “Government can’t leadership. We are now living the consequences of such choices,” said Biti. draw budget from hot

air” – Biti “When the COVID-19 era is over, a forensic audit must be conducted to monitor and track how all the donations which Promoting access to came through were used for the benefit of citizens,” he added. disability friendly information Biti raised concern over the limited oversight role of parliament in government’s response to COVID-19 which has COVID-19 Realities for seen statutory instruments being implemented and central NANGO Eastern Region government taking over the nationwide response.

Helplines “The government has created a number of statutory

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instruments in which most were not approved by parliament. Citizens also need to have these Supporting production instruments explained to them by the very of 12,000 masks for children parliamentarians that represent them. Therefore, As Coronavirus continues to pose a threat to the our arms of state are not functioning accordingly existence of humanity, preventative measures in the face of devolution. remain paramount. Although only one child has

tested positive for the pandemic so far, children Member of Parliament for Norton, Temba Mliswa remain victims of the socio-economic effects of the said both civil society and government should be virus. At present, all children are out of school in consistent in promoting transparency and Zimbabwe and parts of the world. There is a lot of accountability in public resource management. anxiety and uncertainty as to when schools will

reopen. “CSOs should push for implementation of recommendations that came out of the Auditor’s For schools to open, various conditions have been General Report to close up all gaps and leakages to laid down and a call to assist the education sector ensure government accounts for every cent. to meet the required guidelines has been made. Government is transparent about donations they “Mutare District chose to assist central government receive but not the recipients of those donations,” in meeting the required conditions for reopening said Mliswa. by working on the provision of face masks for

learners and teachers in the district” said Mr. Dr Vincent Chakunda, a senior lecturer in the Chofamba, the District Schools Inspector (DSI) for Department of Local Governance at Midlands State Mutare. University echoed similar sentiments as Mliswa.

He said lack of accountability has fuelled The district faces a task of producing over 120,000 corruption over the years. face masks for learners and the DSI sought

assistance from civil society. Youth Alive “Corruption has brought the country to its knees. Zimbabwe (YAZIM) donated materials required for But what people refer to as corruption and lack of the production of at least 12,000 masks. political will are discourses that create a space for criminals to loot the nation’s resources. This leads “Children are at the heart of our programs and the our economy to suffer,” he said. protection of their rights, especially amid a

The author, Nozipho Rutsate, is currently doing her humanitarian crisis, are of great concern to us. We internship at NANGO Midlands Region and studying for a have chosen to support and strengthen Masters Degree in Media and Journalism Studies at NUST. government initiatives in response to the COVID- 19 crisis. For us this small gesture goes a long way in ensuring that the right to education is realized. Furthermore, some children will have access to their beloved and trusted teachers whom they share with incidents at home and their experiences out of school”, said Sr. Elizabeth Mbaririro, Youth Alive Zimbabwe Administration Manager, during the official donation.

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YAZIM continues to assist in the best way possible to create an enabling environment for schools to open and keep children in schools. The plight of children to go back to school saves them from dropping out of school, forced labour and early marriages. We urge all stakeholders to support government and schools to have safer and better conditions to reopen schools.

Youth Alive Zimbabwe handing over donations to the Mutare District Education.

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“Ndari” resumes in rural communities amidst lockdown Some members of Chiwundura community have since resumed one of their social practices of “Ndari” defying conditions of Level 2 of the national lockdown.

“Ndari” is a form of community service where members of a local community share a traditional beer that is brewed by the elderly of that community. The community service has since become an income generating project for some households within that community and with the extended term of the Ndari, which is predominantly brewed and consumed in rural lockdown, community members are resuming areas, is colloquially referred to as ‘seven days’ in reference to operations as they lament hunger and increased the number of days that the brewing process takes. poverty levels. File photo. Source: tellzim.com

A local woman from Chiwundura, Lindiwe Mandire identified some of the challenges faced by the Partnerships in the face of community that has a low risk perception about COVID-19. COVID-19 Discover Zimbabwe Trust (DZT) has joined hands “Vanhu vanotsvaka mari neku bika ndari. Kundari in the National and Global call to fight against the ikoko havagezi maoko. Mvura hakuna. Hapana social spread of the deadly Coronavirus by rolling out distancing”. (People brew ndari as a way f income public awareness in Hobhouse Suburb of Mutare generation. During process of making ndari there is City. no handwashing. There is no water supply. Social distancing is not observed.) DZT in partnership with Mutare City Council sensitized the community on COVID-19 and “Villagers are not abiding to the lockdown order and encouraged social distancing, respiratory hygiene are ignorant of COVID-19 prevention measures,” she and proper wearing of face masks. To convey their said. message to a large crowd, DZT provided the council Security Officers with a hailer as well as supporting Meanwhile, in Mberengwa District, female vendors batteries. The whole world is trying their level best have also resumed selling their wares to mining to put various measures to combat the spread of the community but they are being sexually abused by deadly virus and DZT is showing commitment to illegal miners as they take advantage of their need for the cause by working together with relevant money to survive. authorities in response to the pandemic. The author, Nozipho Rutsate, is currently doing her internship at NANGO Midlands Region and studying Speaking on the sidelines of the awareness for a Masters Degree in Media and Journalism Studies campaign, DZT Director Joachem Hatizivi at NUST. Nyamande said: “For a week we will work with Mutare City Council in raising awareness using the 4 Strengthening the voice of NGOs. 1 8 M A Y , 2 0 2 0 V O L . 5 hailer system. We intend to raise awareness to of safety and security by Zimbabwe Republic Police Mutare residents on the deadly virus, as well as and Zimbabwe National Army. encourage prevention measures to curb the spread of the virus”. The public awareness campaign on COVID-19 using the public address system is expected to Dr Nyamande encouraged the community to continue for a week. The Mutare City Council remain positive and abide by safety guidelines. greatly appreciated the partnership and implored more development partners to come on board to At the time of the public awareness session, some compliment government efforts. community members were still reluctant to wear masks, maintain social distance and wash hands when entering open markets. Some also carried small babies and children to the market signifying lack of a full understanding on the dangers of COVID-19. Community members appreciated the efforts of the partnership including maintenance

Martha Nyaganga writes in her capacity as the Discover Zimbabwe Trust Project Officer.

Promoting access to disability friendly information The COVID19 pandemic has hit hard on the general populace across the globe with over 200 000 succumbing to this disease and above a million affected by it. COVID19 has also led to the current lockdown that has been effected in most countries across the globe. People’s sources of livelihoods have been disrupted especially those who earn on commission, run self-help projects and informal trader. Among those affected by the lockdown are people with disabilities whose majority is not formally employment due to challenges like limited access to education, stigma and discrimination while seeking formal employment. It is this vulnerable and usually marginalized group that Tariro Foundation of Zimbabwe assists.

Tariro Foundation of Zimbabwe realized that people with disabilities were having challenges in accessing information on COVID-19 especially the hearing impaired and the visually impaired.

After noting the challenges, Tariro Foundation of Zimbabwe came with strategies to help the beneficiaries in the shortest possible time. The interventions include dissemination of information on COVID-19 through its social media platforms. Unfortunately, the information has generally been available to those who have access to smartphones and can afford data. The information being shared is informative and educative and includes updates reports on COVID-19. The organization has also participated in ‘The Feed’ documentary calling for an inclusive approach in the provision of information on COVID-19 especially taking into consideration the needs of people with disability. As part of the interviews, the respondents gave a call to the government and development partners to provide information that is in formats understood by different citizens. Strengthening the voice of NGOs. 5 1 8 M A Y , 2 0 2 0 V O L . 5

Excerpt from the United Nation's policy brief on the impact of COVID-19 on older persons.

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COVID-19 Realities for NANGO Eastern Region

Public offices do not have thermometers to check the temperatures of people and workers as they enter the offices.

S High number of people Low compliance to incorrectly wearing of masks lockdown conditions E G N E Limited social distancing Increasing reports of in public spaces L gender based violence L A H Illegal foreign currency dealings Crowded open food markerts C have resurfaced especially between Checheche and Chipinge town

Increased movement of people between Mozambique and the borders along Chipinge especially at ports like Mt Selinda, Ngungunyani, Zona, Mabee and Chingove which are not heavily secured and expose the local community to cases of imported virus.

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SSaaffeettyy aanndd tteeaacchheerr rreemmuunneerraattiioonn sshhoouulldd bbee aaddddrreesssseedd bbeeffoorree sscchhoooollss rree--ooppeenn The announcement by President Emmerson government is able to secure approximately ZWL Mnangagwa of opening of schools is inadequate as 15 billion required to run our schools during this he did not to address the preconditions set out by crisis, we request the following: Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe for his government. An urgent engagement between government and Unions to interrogate the COVID-19 situation, The union remains committed to the following recruitment of more teachers to address teacher statement. learner ratio in line with social distancing directive and United States Dollar salaries for teachers in We, applauding the President of Zimbabwe for line with new pricing regimes. deferring schools opening indefinitely in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic; Further to that, the following safety measures Desirous of a safe schooling environment for our should be adhered to: members and learners; Frequent fumigation of all schools Determined to deliver quality services to our Provision of sanitizers for both teachers and learners; learners Appreciating the sorry state of the national Daily provision of safe, clean and potable water economy; in all schools Concerned with the erosion of teachers’ salaries; Provision of standard personal protective equipment for teachers and learners After extensive consultation with our members, we Testing of both teachers and learners hereby jointly recommend the following to the Motivation and compensation of teachers government of Zimbabwe: working in a high risk environment A 100% risk allowance on gross Schools should remain closed until the virus is income paid in United States Dollars. completely contained. However, if the

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Policy lessons during COVID-19 outbreak On Friday 8 May 2020, I came across a COVID-19 bold, proactive and consistent measuresand policies tweet by Hillary Clinton which read “South Korea that managed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and and the U.S had their first reported case on the same increase recovery. This elicited high profile tributes day. Today, South Korea has reduced daily cases by such as Clinton’s praise of South Korea, and World 90%. In the U.S, 70 000 Americans have died and Economic Forum Chief Representative Officer in unemployment has hit 14.7%. The difference: China, David Aikman’s compliments of China for “a competent government that heeds experts.” delicate balancing act of getting the economy growing again while slowing the spread of the virus". This past Monday 11 May, Deputy Minister of Information, Energy Mutodi also tweeted accusing On the other hand are Western nations such as the State-owned broadcaster, ZBC, of “gross U.S, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy struggling incompetence” and abuse by his boss, Monica to contain the pandemic. While in the case of the Mutsvangwa and her husband Chris. This was after U.S, Clinton singled out political leadership’s failure ZBC had published an article in which government, to heed expert advice as the through Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo, was obstacle in arresting the spread of COVID-19, a “distancing itself” from Mutodi's statements group of three Harvard University professors mocking Tanzanian President John Magufuli's posited that complacency, a lackadaisical response response to COVID-19. and policy inconsistencies enabled the pandemic to spiral out of control in Italy. Hillary Clinton has served as First Lady of the United States, U.S Senator from New York, 67thU.S These contrasting scenarios prompted me to think Secretary of State and Democratic Party candidate about what lessons Zimbabwe can draw from both in the 2016 U.S Presidential elections which she lost the successes of the Asian countries and the to incumbent Donald Trump. Energy Mutodi is shortcomings or rather missteps of their Western ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Goromonzi counterparts. I came up with four measures that I West and Deputy Minister of Information since think can enable Zimbabwe to improve current 2018. Both are up there in positions of power, COVID-19 responses and simultaneously enable influence, leadership and governance at very high sustainable, inclusive and equitable recovery of levels in their countries and in Clinton’s case, citizens and businesses from its crippling effects. globally. Firstly, there is need for clarity, consistency and That is why their tweets prompted me to research, contextualisation of policies formed to fight COVID- reflect and write about the impact that competent 19. Most of the policies implemented so far have governance has had and can have in the fight been vague, erratic and sometimes contradictory to against the Covid-19 pandemic that has infected the realities of the prevailing circumstances. For more than four million people and claimed at least instance, the demolition of vending sites in April 280 000 lives globally as at 11th May. Since Covid-19 destroyed livelihoods of thousands of vendors became a global pandemic, countries across the whose dollar-per-day life-styles entirely depend on globe are implementing measures to contain it informal trading. Secondly, Statutory Instrument albeit with varying degrees of success. On one hand, (SI) 99 of 2020 burdening the employer with the there are Asian countries such as China, South responsibility of paying for mandatory COVID-19 Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, which undertook

Strengthening the voice of NGOs. 9 1 8 M A Y , 2 0 2 0 V O L . 5 testing of all employees returning to work is both an of politicisation of COVID-19 aid reported in some abdication of responsibility by government, and a areas, enable avoidance of a repeat of the Command burden onto a business sector already crippled by Agriculture corruption scandal where US$3 billion the effects of the lockdown. And the ZWL$17 Million reportedly remains unaccounted and improve COVID-19 Youth Relief Fund announced by Youth government’s credibility ratings. Minister Kirsty Coventry on 24th April is discriminatory as it technically excludes youth Thirdly, those in positions of authority and informal traders whose businesses at undesignated influence should set exemplary behaviour for work spaces were affected by the April demolitions. ordinary citizens to follow in the fight against the Government need to ensure that COVID-19 policies pandemic. So far, we have witnessed the opposite, are people focused and sensitive to the needs and especially with regards to communication. In March, rights of marginalized citizens in order to avoid we had Defence Minister - generating ill will, which may result in resistance Kashiri claiming that Coronavirus was God’s and undermining of the goal of containing the punishment of America for imposing sanctions on pandemic. Zimbabwe. We also saw a viral social media video of Member of Parliament Joseph Chinotimba claiming Government can do so by combining its current top- that Coronavirus would only affect women who down policy formulation style with bottom-up dress improperly. When issued by influential approaches that are broad-based, participatory and people, statements of this nature trivialises the inclusive of the views and concerns of ordinary danger posed by COVID-19,cause confusion and citizens and other stakeholders who will be affected. breed complacency which ultimately undermines Conventional wisdom has proved that efforts to contain this pandemic. inclusivity yields cooperation and compliance, which are critical if individual and collective Opinion leaders should desist from making such responsibility and efforts as called for by President dangerously misleading statements and President in his May 1 State of the Mnangagwa should ensure that there are serious Nation address (SONA) is to be secured. consequences for his subordinates who issue such reckless statements. Soft fire fighting as was the case Secondly, transparency and accountability should in Muchinguri’s case or having government merely be observed in the administration of programs put “distancing itself” as in Mutodi’s case on Monday is in place by government to facilitate social security not deterrent enough. of vulnerable citizens and recovery of businesses affected by COVID-19. These relief programs include Lastly, as a country, Zimbabwe also needs to support the food hampers promised for vulnerable families and encourage innovation in the fight against at the beginning of the lockdown, the ZWL$17 COVID-19. This past Friday, Singapore started a Million COVID-19 Youth Relief Fund and the ZW$18 two-week trial use of a remote-controlled robot dog billion businesses stimulus package announced by that enforces social distancing, remind people President Mnangagwa during his May 1 SONA. State against gathering and delivers medicines to COVID- and non-state actors such as parliament and civil 19 patients at a temporary hospital. This innovation society should be allowed to play an oversight role has substantial potential to revolutionize Covid-19 to ensure that deserving citizens and companies responses in Singapore, one of the countries already benefit. Similarly, a forensic audit is also required to commended for its measures to combat the ensure that every COVID-19 donation given to pandemic. While Zimbabwe may not be in a position government is accounted. This will curb incidences to match Singapore’s level of innovation, a lot more

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can, and should be done to support innovations already underway at our tertiary education institutions and local companies. Among other steps, these measures are especially critical in light of WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti’s warning last Friday that Coronavirus could “smoulder in Africa for years and take a high death toll unless governments take proactive approaches to arrest it”.

Author, Francis Mukora, is a certified public policy analyst and advocate, journalist and award-winning governance and leadership practitioner writing here in his personal capacity. He can be contacted at [email protected] Donate to a good cause 114 people with disabilities received mealie-meal and other basic commodities courtesy of the Department of Social Services. Tariro Foundation of Zimbabwe offered to transport the basic commodities to vulnerable community members who were hampered by the lockdown from accessing shops. The door-to-door deliveries limited beneficiaries’ movement thereby limiting the spread of the pandemic.

In order to continue helping more disenfranchised members of society, Tariro Foundation of Zimbabwe is requesting donations in the form of personal protective equipment. The organization also noted that there are people with disabilities who need essential medicines. People with disabilities are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and most of them avoid crowded health centres. Tariro Foundation of Zimbabwe welcomes donations from institutions and individual well-wishers in cash or kind. Those intending to offer direct support to the beneficiaries can drop off their donations at the NANGO Eastern Region Office.

Strengthening the voice of NGOs. 11 1 8 M A Y , 2 0 2 0 V O L . 5 Need hheellpp during the lockdown? HHeerree aarree ssuuggggee ssttiioonnss ooff wwhhoo yyoouu ccaann ccoonnttaacctt COVID-19 related information: Toll Free 2019

To know your human rights: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights 24 hour National Hotline +263 772 257 247 Matabeleland/ Midlands +263 773 855 635 Manicaland/ Masvingo +263 773 855 718

To report gender based violence: 24 hour toll free lines Musasa Project - 08080074 Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association - 08080131 Adult Rape Clinic - 0775 672 770 Shamwari Yemwanasikana Hotline 0772 607 384

To get legal advice: 24 hour toll free legal service helplines Legal Resources Foundation - 08080402 Women and Law in Southern Africa - 0777 366 952 Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association - 08080131 Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights - 0772 257 247

For psycho social support: 24 hour toll free line for children in distress and COVID-19 information Childline Zimbabwe - 116

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Strengthening the voice of NGOs.