The Sunday Mail
Vision 2030
Allen Choruma
AN avalanche of news on global mainstream media about the rapid spread of Covid-19, commonly known as coronavirus, feels overwhelming right now.
It is causing fear and panic. This is exacerbated by fake news and fear mongering on social media.
But it was not always like this. When news of the coronavirus outbreak was first announced in China in December 2019, the disease looked distant. Zimbabweans felt no reason to worry.
However, the situation changed swiftly in February with reports of the rapid spread of coronavirus in South Korea, Japan and Iran.
The virus soon reached Europe and spread as far as the United States of America.
In late February it landed in sub-Saharan Africa. That is when it dawned on a number of Zimbabweans that the pandemic was real.
The announcement of a raft of drastic measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa on Sunday March 15, jolted Zimbabweans into action.
Although no case of coronavirus had been reported officially in Zimbabwe at that time, President Mnangagwa on March 17 addressed the nation on measures that his Government was putting in place to manage the pandemic.
Reality
On March 20 the Ministry of Health and Child Care announced Zimbabwe’s first Covid-19 case.
A second case was subsequently reported but sadly succumbed to the disease. Zimbabwe, together with the rest of the world, is now confronted with coronavirus, declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a global pandemic.
Challenge
With coronavirus you are only as healthy as the next person. You could be a super-spreader without knowing it. You could be asymptomatic, but still infect others around you.
As human beings, it is in our DNA to socialise, to stay in groups as families, friends and communities.
Touching, hugging, shaking hands, among other behaviours, are our basic human instincts and traits. This is why social distancing can be a challenge for us, especially black African people.
Coronavirus takes advantage of our human social traits and instincts and uses them as a medium to indiscriminately multiply and spread unseen.
As difficult as it may be, social distancing will help us fight coronavirus.
Coronavirus affects us all
Coronavirus is going to change the way we think and view life, the way we behave, socialise and do business across the world.
As it spreads, we must not make fear and panic overwhelm us.
We need to be courageous and rise above our fears.
We are resilient.
We have faced many challenges before dating back to the liberation struggle, famines, economic meltdown, hyperinflation, you name it. We have survived through these crises.
Economy
The coronavirus could not have come at a more challenging time for our country. The economic challenges are enormous. The pandemic could make things worse for Zimbabweans as the economy is impacted negatively.
It will not be business as usual and we will need to adjust our way of life.
The informal economy plays a significant role in Zimbabwe. For these people social distancing will present an enormous economic burden, as it is a bread and butter issue.
But for the sake of our health and well-being of the nation, we all have to adhere to directives given by the Government and WHO. There is no choice.
Everyone is going to feel the knock. National, local authorities and corporate budgets are going to be impacted negatively and so will our individual and family budgets as the pandemic takes its toll.
Courage
Nelson Mandela once said: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.”
As we face the coronavirus pandemic, let us be courageous and triumph over fear. Let us prepare ourselves to fight the pandemic with unwavering resolve.
Let us bury what divides us and come together as a nation to face this adversity. Let us pool all our resources together, no matter how limited they may be. They will take us a long way in confronting this unprecedented pandemic.
We must harness our courage, look beyond our fears and take drastic action to limit our exposure and reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our great nation.
As Zimbabweans we know how to struggle and survive, it is in our DNA. We know how to thrive and win in the midst of a crisis.
Together as a united nation, let us rally behind our President and Government and allow them to do their best in managing the coronavirus pandemic.
Let us support our healthcare personnel — doctors, nurses, nurse aides, caregivers, ambulance drivers and so on. These are the people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
We can only overcome Covid-19 with unity, co-operation, courage, dignity and love.
Allen Choruma can be contacted on [email protected]. This week’s contribution was inspired by Pastor Ray McCauley’s article titled “In times of trials, let us not make fear the only response we offer”.
