ZIMBABWE yesterday tightened the COVID-19 lockdown in major cities, with police and army blocking motorists and commuters from entering central business districts around the country after infections tripled in one week.
Several roadblocks were mounted on major roads leading into city centres, with long queues of cars developing at major police checkpoints.
COVID-19 infections rose to 206 yesterday after the country eased lockdown regulations two weeks ago, although authorities say most of the new infections were of Zimbabweans returning from other countries and are being held in isolation centres.
Police were only allowing government workers such as security services and medical professionals to pass through the roadblocks, where the majority were turned back, and the situation was severe in Harare than other cities, where traffic was largely unhindered.
There was no prior warning to the clampdown, with Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana claiming government had thrown away its lackadaisical approach to enforcing the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
But a coincidence with the arrest of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, who was supposed to appear at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday, charged with obstructing the course of justice, could have triggered the police roadblocks for fear of protests by opposition supporters.
There was also speculation that MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe wanted to take over the MDC Alliance party headquarters, the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, yesterday following a Supreme Court ruling that declared her the acting leader of the opposition party.
There was also suspicion that the MDC Alliance could resist the party headquarters takeover, where Chamisa presided over a standing committee meeting yesterday and is expected to lead the national council today at the same venue.
Others said there were fears of protests over the arrest of MDC Alliance youth leader Obey Sithole, who was nabbed yesterday and is likely to appear in court today.
But Mangwana insisted there was nothing amiss in the clampdown, which most people yesterday claimed was to intimidate opposition supports to allow Khupe and MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora enough time to dismantle Chamisa’s MDC Alliance.
“The government has not pronounced a change in lockdown regulations. We are still on level 2 lockdown and permitted economic activity should go ahead. Police are only enforcing the pronounced and gazetted level 2 conditions,” Mangwana wrote on Twitter.
Cabinet yesterday also resolved “that enforcement agents should be capacitated to effectively enforce level 2 of the lockdown as there is an increase in the number of people defying the lockdown.”
