COVID-19: First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa calls for Fasting and Prayer

HARARE – First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has urged citizens to begin a three-day nationwide session of fasting and prayer for an end to the coronavirus.

The call comes after the deadly virus claimed the lives of government officials, with Foreign Minister Sibusiso Busi Moyo being the latest high profile casualty.

Reality is starting to dawn and fear is becoming the order of the day within the Zanu PF party as revelations suggest a number of officials have tested positive for the disease and are currently fighting for their lives.

The first lady issued a statement to the nation on Thursday, urging citizens to seek divine options to fight the pandemic.

The testimony of Mnangagwa’s wife reads as follows:

“As the mother of the nation, may I call on all women in Zimbabwe and all those abroad who wish to join me in praying for our nation today, Thursday 21st January to Saturday 23rd January 2021, to be spared from further harm and suffering.

“Our country has seen many deaths from COVID-19 in the past two weeks.

“Death is in our communities, on our doorstep.

“There is not a family that has not suffered the loss of loved ones due to the pandemic.

“Every day we hear about names going missing. I therefore humbly call on all women to commit to three days from tomorrow of fasting and prayer and asking for divine intervention to save the nation and our people.

“As women, we play a very important role in our society. We keep the family unit together and make them work for our daily life.

“As we are always on site, we are the guardians of the values ​​and measures that protect us as the smallest unit of society.

“I urge you that as we pray to the Almighty for his mercy and grace, we also use this power bestowed on us by society to ensure that every family complies with the measures taken by the government to curb spread of infectious disease.

“Let us, as mothers, enforce family-level measures that reduce the spread of Covid19 among us.

“We need a household-level plan to regularly use all the resources we have to clean and disinfect our homes; ensure all household members are aware of the importance of having a mask and dressing appropriately.

“It is even more important to organize accurate and safe errands to meet our needs while the family is forced to stay at home.

“Let’s incorporate anti-COVID-19 measures as we fulfil our maternal role of ensuring that each member of the family is responsible for their own personal hygiene.

“While avoiding and addressing stigma, we must ensure that all family members know how to help those who are infected and are willing to help those who are sick to cope while remaining protected from infection.

“As we pray for help in our country, we must consider the measures for safe prayer.
It is best for us to fast and pray as individuals at home.

“For those gathering in small numbers in accordance with COVID-19 regulations, let’s mask up and maintain a safe physical distance from each other.

“I call on our traditional rulers, chiefs, chiefs and village heads to help spread the message in our communities that will help mothers save the nation from further harm.

“Similarly, I implore our mass media organizations, print media, television, radio and online platforms, to help get the message out by improving your communications that help the nation pray together and act”, note that protects us.

“I would like to thank the healthcare professionals, our frontline heroes, who continue to provide aid to the sick, to carry out tests to determine the rate of infection and to spread awareness messages which help to ensure compliance.

“I would like to thank the members of the security forces for their excellent work in bringing them into compliance with the COVID-19 regulations.

“We encourage you to continue your good work for the security of our nation.

“Let’s all do our part and save the nation from an even greater catastrophe. Thank you,” the statement concludes.