Zimpapers Logo

Stephen Mpofu, Perspective

The world is virtually at a standstill, travel wise, as the coronavirus rampages, leaving behind it torrential tears of those losing their loved ones to that scourge.

It therefore borders on the insensitive if not curious and ridiculous for eminent  Zimbabweans constituting the tourism executives to complain that measures being taken by Zimbabwean authorities to vet travellers at ports of entry into the country for those carrying or infected by the virus are stringent.

In the circumstances, would it be an exaggeration for this pen or for people close to the tourism players’ complaint that were they in possession of carte blanche authority over entry points into our country, they would allow visitors to stroll, whistling past authorities at entry points or, preferably for them to slip into the country at night using balloons, so as to avoid the vetting at entry points?

Furthermore, just what do those tourism executives say about the United States of America suspending all passenger shipping travels until April between it and other countries, that move coming on the heels of a similar move by European countries?

Much closer to home, in South Africa which had recorded 202 Covid-19 positive cases by yesterday afternoon, the government there has shut down 32 of its 72 ports of entry consisting of air, land and sea ports.

No doubt our wiser (?) tourism gurus regard the measures taken by our neighbouring country to curb the spread of  Covid-19 as being most stringent than the requirement for travellers entering Zimbabwe producing health certificates, preferring instead thorough screening at ports of entry — a move that tourists themselves might regard as cumbersome and decide to go and spend their hard earned cash elsewhere.

It must be agreed by all concerned global village citizens, including Zimbabweans, that governments take the measures that they do to safeguard their people from Covid-19 on wise advice and should therefore be supported without let or hindrance.

It is therefore to be hoped that Zimbabweans will observe and implement all the measures introduced by the Government to fight the coronavirus.

For instance, people are being advised in churches not to shake hands when greeting one another and it is to be hoped that the message is spread to rural areas where people do not have the same access to news by radio or through newspapers and might continue with the traditional hand-shaking at funerals when conveying their condolences.

Meanwhile, it is no doubt the hope of many Zimbabweans that South Africa will also seal its side of the long Limpopo river boundary with Zimbabwe to prevent border jumpers from crossing the border to and fro between the two countries with the risk of spreading Covid-19.