Heal Zimbabwe’s Early Warning and Early Response Situation Room is monitoring how communities are reacting to the national lockdown which was announced by the President on the 27th of March, 2020. Below are some of the reactions recorded today, the 6th of April 2020:
Nyanga
Community members in Ward 18 Dirorimwe village stayed at their homes. Supermarkets were open and had sanitizers at entrances. The local clinic was open. Soldiers and the police were reinforcing the lockdown around 0800hours to 17:00hours encouraging everyone to stay at home as much as possible.
Mutasa North
Community members in Ward 31 stayed at their homes. Only Supermarkets at Hauna Growth Point were open between 08:00 to 18:00hours. Police and Soldiers were seen at the business centre advising community members to stay in their homes. The lockdown has negatively impacted business. Farmers who spoke to resident Heal Zimbabwe Human Rights Monitors highlighted that they are unable to sell their produce during the lockdown.
Buhera
Community Members in Ward 10 stayed in their homes. At around 13:00hours, police were seen at business centres telling community members to avoid roaming around. All bars were closed. However, in ward 33, it was business as usual for money changers and vendors. Today at Birchenough Bridge at a local shop, one man aged around 40years was assaulted by the police while queuing for mealie meal. The police accused him of disturbing the smooth flow of proceedings at the shop.
Chipinge
Community members in Ward 15 stayed at their homes. Most shops were open. Soldiers and Police were seen at businesses centres telling community members to stay in their homes. The lockdown was also upheld in other wards 3, 16 and 28.However, community members in these wards highlighted that most health facilities were closed and this made it difficult for them to access health care.
Chimanimani
Community members in Ward 7 stayed at home. Most Supermarkets were open while several bars though closed, were selling alcohol. There was no police presence at most business centres.
Makoni
Community members took the heed to stay at home in Ward 12. Soldiers and Police around 14:30hours were deployed to enforce the lockdown at Chiunda business centre. All shops were open and closed at 14:00hours.
Chivi
Community members from Silindani Village gathered for a collaborative neutral platform (nhimbes/ilima). Over 60 people from the ward attended and helped themselves to the free beer that was served at the activity.
Murehwa
Police stopped farmers from selling their produce at Murehwa Business centre. They forced the farmers to sell their vegetables at a wholesale price so that they do not spend more time at the township, attracting many people.
Harare
At around 1700 hours, Police in riot gear and on horses violently dispersed community members who were fetching water at a community borehole in Budiriro 5A.
Mbire
Soldiers deployed at around 1000 hours at Mushumbi growth point. They were moving around warning communities to stay in their homes.
Chinhoyi
In Ward 31, all shops including beer halls were closed. Village heads were moving around villages to make sure no backdoor gatherings were being held. In Chinhoyi business centre, most shops especially supermarkets were open. Army trucks moved around wards 2, 4 and 5 in Chikonohono and Hunyani suburbs informing people to stay in their homes.
Magunje
People are complying with the lockdown and practicing social distance as most shops are limiting the number of customers and creating turns for them. In Ward 26 there was no police presence.
Hurungwe
There was no public transport to ferry people to Karoi which is the nearest town. The local shops in Ward 8 were closed. There were no uniformed forces moving around the ward, however people stayed in their homes.
Zvimba
Grocery shops are opened from 9am to 3pm. In Ward 22 and 23 Kuwadzana location, Police officers are patrolling even during night.
Chiredzi ward 7
People are complying and staying in their homes and there is limited movement of people going to the shops for groceries. Shops open at 9 and close at 3pm and police are patrolling at the shops though not all the time.
Bikita
In ward 32 today people stayed in their homes and in the fields harvesting. There was minimal movement and no gatherings for meetings or other social events.
Mashava
People are complying and staying at their homesteads. Only grocery shops at King mine are open. The few shops that are opening have hiked prices of basic commodities. Police officers moved around business centres enforcing the lockdown.
Mwenezi
Police ordered all shops to close at 12pm.Community members people forced to vacate Neshuro business centre.
Gutu
It’s business as usual and it seems community members have not taken heed on the need to stay in their homes.
Masvingo
People are complying and staying in their homes. Pharmacies were today ordered to open for 4hrs from 9am. Police are still moving around and today there were no beatings by the police.
Zaka
People were complying today, they stayed in their homes and police were moving around Jerera growth point. A response team from the government was moving around Jerera with more than 20 cars assessing the lockdown. They did not however address anyone at the growth point.
Gokwe South
In ward 13, several people were assaulted by the police for failing to abide by the lockdown regulations.
Mberengwa
Shops are operating from 9am till 2 pm .Most community members are staying in their homes. Soldiers who were deployed ordered several shops to close. Community members who were seen roaming about business centres were assaulted.
Chirumhanzu
In ward 11, people are staying in their homes. Most shops are closed and some community members are facing challenges in buying basic commodities such as sugar and flour.
Chiwundura
In ward 11, community members have taken heed of the lockdown. Grocery shops are opening at 8am and closing at 3pm.
Gweru
Shops are operating normally, but on the 04 April people who had queued to buy mealie meal at Victoria Milling Company were assaulted and arrested. Those arrested were fined ZW200 while those who failed to raise the fines were released around 16:00hrs.
Source: Heal Zimbabwe
