Africa Press-Nigeria:
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has slammed President Emmerson Mnangagwa for using scarce state resources to fly to Namibia for the inauguration of the SADC country’s leader when hospitals in his own backyard were yearning for resources to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Two cases of coronavirus have been reported in Zimbabwe since Friday with citizens still to have easy access to protective clothing such as facial masks.
Hand sanitisers are still not affordable to the vulnerable majority.
In the midst of the crisis, President Mnangagwa and his entourage had time to fly to Namibia for the inauguration of President Hage Geingob Saturday.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda said his boss would step in with solutions on how to lesson the impact of the threat as opposed to his rival who was globetrotting.
“President Chamisa is having sleepless nights checking with his national command centre for updates on what is required during this difficult time where the country has just confirmed cases of COVID-19 disease.
“President Chamisa will not do politics of nonsense, lies and politics of noise as is being done by this illegitimate regime.
“Whenever something happens, he will tell the truth and will not wait for someone having festivities in Namibia or elsewhere around the world,” Sibanda said.
Chamisa’s spokesperson said his boss would find it absurd that a national leader would find it appropriate to divert scarce public resources to fly his entourage to an event which had no direct economic benefit to a suffering nation.
“It is really saddening that when the country is facing such a natural crisis, there is virtually no equipment, we have less than a hundred beds in the country with only 30 or so in Harare and slightly less number in Thorngrove hospital, Bulawayo.
“That you have an illegitimate President travelling to another country to have festivities in Namibia is unacceptable. I believe the country should call these people to question on the money they have used to fly to Namibia for something that is non-essential.
“Namibians can inaugurate their own President under full understanding of the fact that the rest of the world is busy dealing with COVID-19 but we as Zimbabweans with a very poor health system that could be washed off the face of the earth by this pandemic cannot be affording to fund a large contingent to just go and have festivities and put silver spoons into their mouths.
“It is very disheartening at this moment. This puts into question the commitment of leaders of this regime to the health of the people and their well-being of our nation,” added Sibanda.
