Human Rights organisation, the Zimbabwe Peace Project says the Public Health Order gazetted by the government to contain and treat the Covid-19 virus remained largely punitive as it continued violating the rights of the citizens.
Zimbabwe is currently battling with the pandemic’s third wave recording high new infections and deaths across the country daily.
However, the ZPP in its sixth edition of the Covid-19 Accountability Tracker, said the government was paying more attention to what was not allowed while ignoring the livelihood needs of the majority who have been affected by the pandemic-induced lockdown for over 15 consecutive months.
“The Statutory Instrument (SI) 77 of 2020 – The Public Health Order, that was gazetted by the Ministry of Health as a response to prevent, contain and treat Covid-19 is a largely punitive instrument in that violates human rights,” the ZPP said in its report.
“It (SI) pays greater attention to what is not allowed and hardly on the livelihood question that is affecting the majority of Zimbabweans.”
The ZPP also noted last June recorded the government’s most brutal human rights violations since the beginning of the national lockdown in March 2020 as it demolished homes and businesses of informal traders.
“June 2021 recorded the height of gross and heartless human rights violations instituted by the Government of Zimbabwe under the difficult global pandemic – Covid-19. (The) Spate of demolitions of homes and means of livelihood for the poor Zimbabweans were witnessed in Harare’s high-density suburbs and Chitungwiza,” it said.
The ZPP added most workers are lost their jobs as companies closed due to the impact of Covid-19.
“The impact of Covid-19 and the restrictive conditions of its management forced businesses to operate at less than capacity, with most laying off employees and shutting down.
“With no meaningful contribution from the government to cushion persons with disabilities, women, children, and other vulnerable groups, the wave of demolitions further worsened the livelihood of the poor Zimbabwean.
“The situation was aggravated by an abrupt pronouncement of a tighter lockdown which was not complemented by a government relief facility for the affected persons.”
The ZPP added the restoration of Level 4 lockdown at the end of last month had seriously affected the operations of vendors and small enterprises as the ban on inter-city travel made it impossible to travel for restocking or selling.
“There is no provision in the Statutory Instrument 189 of 2021 to cater for small traders as an essential service. There is a strong feeling that the government is not doing enough to cushion its citizens from the impact of Covid-19 and trade restrictions.”
“Instead of focusing on heavy forms of punishment for Covid-19 restriction violators, the government should instead mobilise resources to cushion its citizens such that they do not put themselves and others at risk by continuing to flout the regulations.
“If well-cushioned, citizens will also value their health and that of others and the pandemic may be easier to contain. Government must implement a direct beneficiary support mechanism to ensure that the facility reaches the intended beneficiaries. Government must engage mobile money wallet services and relief aid organisations to design a sustainable facility for the persons with disabilities, women, children and other vulnerable groups.”
According to the ZPP, more and new forms of human rights violations continued to emerge from its field reports as the government managed the prevention, containment, and treatment of the pandemic.
However, calls for the government to provide relief support for the vulnerable and distressed businesses remained unanswered.