Acting Chief Secretary to the President, George Charamba has refuted claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was under 14-day isolation after being in contact with one of his aides who allegedly had the coronavirus.
Local newspapers were awash with news that Mnangagwa, who announced that he would take a month sabbatical at the beginning of the month, announced that he was cut short his annual leave to preside over the burials of two national heroes and arrange for the funeral arrangements of long time friend and Foreign Affairs Minister, Sibusiso MOYO who died from the COVID-19.
The rumours were escalated by the conspicuous absence of Vice Presidents Kembo Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga during the burial of Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Ellen Gwaradzimba, who succumbed to COVID-19 and liberation war hero, Morton Malianga.
In a tweet Friday morning, Charamba scoffed the rumours saying Mnangagwa is yet to go into a COVID-19 induced lockdown.
“INFERTILE IMAGINATION AT AMH!!! Lots needless speculation and false dire conclusions by both NewDay and Zimbabwe Independent. The President, His Excellency ED Mnangagwa has never, is yet, to isolate on account of exposure to Coronavirus.
“We who work with him daily find it laughable that some faraway newsroom whose reporters we are yet to see covering him, claim isolation for him. The irony is that THEY, not him have chosen to isolate themselves from him, choosing to rely on arcane sources,” he said.
In another tweet on Wednesday, Charamba said Mnangagwa was in low spirits from the death of his allies due to COVID-19.
“Never have I seen the President low. Never, too, have I had to issue out so many sad messages in the nearly four decades I have been in government. It’s just depressing, which is why we all have to mask up, stay at home, maintain social distancing, get tested and isolate,” Charamba said.
To date, three ministers in the Mnangagwa administration have succumbed to the COVID-19: Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement) in July last year, Gwaradzimba last week and Moyo on Wednesday.
COVID-19 cases and cases continue to surge across the country. Yesterday, the country recorded 38 deaths and 639 new cases to bring the total to 30 047 confirmed cases, including 19 569 recoveries and 917 deaths.
