By Staff Reporter

CHIMURENGA music guru, Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo has questioned the President Emmerson Mnangagwa led administration’s sincerity in spending energy and resources fighting opposition parties instead of the ravaging Covid-19 virus.

In a live message to Zimbabweans shot by NewZim TV Friday on the day of the #31July protests, the outspoken musician accused Mnangagwa of concentrating on dismantling opposition parties, arresting anti-corruption crusaders, but doing nothing to halt the spread of Covid-19.

“Some are busy running after the opposition parties. That should not be the case. Unite the people and you will conquer all if you want to defeat Covid-19,” Mukanya told NewZim TV.

“What we see today is that there is Covid-19 but some are using this pandemic as a weapon in politics. Because of this virus, the government should look after the people, that hospitals are working and have medicines, staff and well-equipped,” said the US based musician.

The main opposition party, MDC Alliance has accused Mnangagwa of burning the midnight candle while working on eliminating the party led by his biggest opponent Nelson Chamisa.

Several of the party’s MPs and councillors have been expelled from Parliament and local councils. A number of MDC Alliance activists also went into hiding ahead of Friday’s mass protests fearing abductions and arrests.

Mapfumo said because of government’s insincerity in fighting coronavirus, more people were dying and correct statistics were not being disclosed.

“At the moment you are sweeping dirt under the carpet and lying to the people there are no deaths. If in South Africa people are dying like that, what about Zimbabwe without hospitals, medicines? You should tell people the truth.”

The world-acclaimed musician said he did not understand why the State was arresting people for demanding an end to corruption.

Transform Zimbabwe president Jacob Ngarivhume and freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono are currently in remand prison after exposing corruption and calling for anti-corruption demonstrations.

They are facing charges of inciting public violence.

“We should not arrest those who expose corruption. That’s not it, those people want to end corruption for the country to develop. At the moment the country is imploding. There is nothing in the country.

“The health system has collapsed. The local currency at independence in 1980 was strong but soon it started to lose its value and now there is no currency in Zimbabwe. Do you ever sit-down among yourselves and ask what you are doing in government and where the Zimbabwe dollar went?

“So what happened to reach that stage where it is said there is no local currency in the country? We just woke up one morning and were told the money had been eroded by inflation.”

Mapfumo said the way the country was being governed was far from what the people expected.

“You should not steal from the people and the country. It would have been better if you stole and created businesses and industries but you use the looted resources with your families only.

“You are elders. Some countries are developing. Zimbabwe is not the only country that had a civil war. It happened in Rwanda but that country is developing. There is rule of law.

“In Zimbabwe, people are dying but you are busy chasing opposition parties. I don’t know why. You should instead be sitting with the opposition and finding lasting solutions to end Covid-19.”