A SENIOR government official and Mberengwa South born Twoboy Shoko has rallied people in his rural home in fighting against the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
The government’s chief accountant, Shoko took advantage of the May Day break and toured most parts of Mberengwa South conducting the COVID-19 awareness programme.
Hundreds of households also benefited from donations he made, which included soap and hand sanitisers.
Shoko said he found it to be an opportunity to go and visit his rural home and conscientise the rural folk about the dangers COVID-19 posed in communities.
“I want to believe that initially this pandemic was thought to be restricted to the urban centres but in the wake of what happened in Mhondoro, it is high time that the people in my home area be armed with the relevant information on COVID-19,” he said.
“So, I took it upon myself to drive home and do what I can. I have donated soaps and sanitisers to hundreds of people in the constituency because one of the recommendations by the World Health Organisation is to observe proper hygiene.”
Zimbabwe has to date recorded 34 cases of COVID-19 with four deaths and nine recoveries.
The government’s chief accountant further told this publication that the rural folk in Mberengwa South was battling two wars at once; COVID-19 and hunger.
He pleaded with the government, donors, and well-wishers to help people in Mberengwa with food to mitigate shortages.
“This year we had a very poor harvest countrywide due to poor rains. The situation is, however, bad in the rural areas because most of the peasant farmers rely on natural rains, and this year it was different.
“My observations are that there is a need for an urgent intervention from all fronts to save lives. It is very unfortunate that this is also happening at a time the world is fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Hunger is a very serious issue not only in my home area but largely in Mberengwa as a district.
“I had an opportunity to also speak to Chief Chingoma who narrated how in some instances he feeds his hungry subjects with guavas because he too has nothing to give them,” said Shoko.
