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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter

GOVERNMENT has said sporting activities in schools remain on hold in the coming few weeks due to a possible surge in Covid-19 cases associated with winter. 

In her post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa also said members of the public should get vaccinated ahead of the winter season, as the second phase of the national vaccination programme is underway. 

She said all provinces will now ramp up vaccination under the Phase II Vaccination Blitz Campaign Programme by working closely with community leaders. 

“While the country is doing well in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cabinet, nonetheless, calls upon citizens to remain vigilant and strictly observe the national and World Health Organisation (WHO) Covid-19 protocols, and the relevant regulations will continue to be strictly enforced,” she said. 

“Furthermore, there is a need to closely monitor the situation in schools for the coming few weeks before allowing the resumption of sporting activities in the institutions, given that the re-opening of schools and onset of winter is usually associated with increased cases of Covid-19.”

The Minister said as of Monday, the country’s Covid-19 cases stood at 248 531, with 242 118 recoveries and 5 479 deaths. The recovery rate was 98 percent, with 785 active cases having been reported. 

She said the number of new Covid-19 cases continued to decrease, with 361 cases having been recorded, compared to the 437 recorded the previous week, marking a 17 percent decline. 

“While the country is doing well in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cabinet, nonetheless, calls upon citizens to remain vigilant and strictly observe the national and World Health Organisation (WHO) Covid-19 protocols, and the relevant regulations will continue to be strictly enforced,” she added.

Minister Mutsvangwa also announced that Cabinet had adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Zimbabwe and South Africa in the field of basic education. 

She said the MoU will foster co-operation between the two parties in the exchange of “delegations, experts and academics in the field of primary and secondary education; learner enrolment and teacher training, whereby the parties shall, upon request, facilitate the mutual enrolment of learners in their respective secondary schools and exchange of information and participation in educational conferences organised by the parties”.

She said the partnership will also promote co-operation of learning institutions and high commissions of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in the respective parties’ countries and sharing information on schools’ infrastructure development, teacher development, curriculum development and in assessments and examinations. 

Regarding the 2022 Winter Cropping Season, Minister Mutsvangwa said the local fertiliser industry has adequate stocks to supply the existing Winter Input Programmes as well as other commercial and retail needs.

She said the available fertilizer includes carry-over stock from the previous season and stocks under the Collateral Management Arrangement (CMA), which will be released once the required funding has been disbursed. 

The minister said Cabinet also considered and approved the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2022, which was presented by the Attorney-General, Prince Machaya, on behalf of the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi. 

The Bill introduces stiffer penalties for the abstraction or diversion of electricity, or the use of such electricity knowing that it was illegally abstracted or diverted.

The Bill will also remove the option of a fine where one is convicted of the crime. 

“Furthermore, the Bill introduces stiffer penalties for the transportation of material used in connection with the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity without the option of a fine,” she said. 

“Zesa is suffering huge losses due to theft and vandalism of the national electricity infrastructure. In 2021, Zesa recorded 1 237 cases of theft and vandalism, resulting in huge losses of revenue, which could have been used for development.

The Amendment Bill will deter would-be offenders through stiffer and mandatory sentences.”