Zimbabwe orders most civil servants to work from home

HARARE, Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean government has ordered with immediate effect that the number of civil servants working in offices be reduced to 10% following the deaths of two cabinet ministers from COVID-19 within a few days.

“From the 21st of January 2021 to the 3rd of February 2021, all ministries, government departments and agencies will be operating with only 10% of their staff.”

“The rest will be working from home, and this is likely going to affect the service the public receives,” Nick Mangwana, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, announced on Twitter.

However, the government has ordered that health professionals will continue to report for duty as the country battles the coronavirus, which had infected 28,675 people and killed 825 as of Jan. 19.

The directive was issued Wednesday, a few hours after the death of Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo and a few days after the death of Ellen Gwaradzimba, Minister of State for Manicaland Province.

Moyo’s death shook the corridors of power, prompting President Emmerson Mnangagwa to cut short his January leave.

Zimbabwe has been battling a deadly COVID-19 surge since the beginning of the year, forcing authorities to re-impose a 30-day lockdown.

Apparently super spreaders were witnessed during the festive season, and some of the organizers of huge gatherings were arrested and jailed in line with new COVID-19 laws.