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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GOVERNMENT has started setting up facilities across the country to provide shelter for the homeless to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

So far children living on the streets and other vulnerable people have been placed at three centres in Harare and the department of Social Welfare has been asked to establish more of such facilities across the country, including in Bulawayo.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said the homeless are some of the people at most risk of contracting Covid-19 due to their living conditions.

The Minister said some homeless people have already been taken to some centres in Harare.

“We are taking the homeless people from the street in the fight against Covid-19. We are doing something.

“We are using funds from our current budget and I know we will get something from Treasury soon since this is a national disaster. Homeless people in Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and across the country should be put in shelters where they can be monitored,” he said.

“In Harare, we have established three centres where we are housing these homeless people so that they have somewhere where they call a home.

“We have identified a training institute for the Ministry of Youth in Mount Hampden where we have moved in those who are in families. At Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre we have taken in boys who are below 18. At Jamaica Inn along Mutare Road, we have taken in women above 18 and we are also going to put in girls. So, we have about 42 going to the boys’ facility, 45 coming in as families and six women at Jamaica Inn.”

He said blankets, clothing and mattresses for the homes are available and more is expected to be provided by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
Zimra has been supplying the vulnerable with blankets that would have been forfeited to the State.

Chronicle reported on Monday that the generality of people living on the streets are totally ignorant on the need to protect themselves against Covid-19, making them vulnerable to the pandemic.

Personal hygiene and social distancing are key elements in terms of combating the spread of the deadly global pandemic.

A Chronicle news crew took to the streets of Bulawayo on Sunday and observed that streets kids and homeless people in general are vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 as they are living in squalid and unhealth conditions.

The news crew visited Bulawayo’s Centenary Park where some of the homeless people live in a filthy environment.

“They are susceptible to other diseases such as cholera and typhoid. They live in makeshift structures situated near a stream flowing with effluent.