MDC-T salutes China for Sinopharm vaccines donation to Zimbabwe

HARARE – The opposition MDC-T party, led by Douglas Mwonzora, has praised the government of the People’s Republic of China for donating 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines to Zimbabwe.

The MDC-T, through its presidential spokesperson Witness Dube, issued a statement on the results of the party’s National Standing Committee virtual meeting held on Wednesday.

“Today, the MDC-T held a virtual meeting of the National Standing Committee,” the statement said.

“The party noted that the nation received a donation of 200,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. The party expresses its gratitude for the donation and would like to thank the Chinese and Zimbabwean governments,” the statement continued.

MDC-T clarion call for fair rollout of vaccines

The opposition party, which has been criticized for its lenient stance towards the ruling Zanu-PF government, called on the state to be “transparent” and avoid “corruption” in its dealings.

“The party wishes to encourage the Ministry of Health and Child Care to prioritize the health sector and other key sectors in our country to receive the vaccine in a transparent manner.”

The party further recommended that priority be given to obtaining and supplying a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“It is important that our scientific and medical communities identify the predominant strains of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.This will help the nation get the most effective medicine to fight the disease,” it said.

“Furthermore, since corruption has become endemic in our society, appropriate mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that ruthless cartels do not hijack the process for their selfish ends.

According to the statement, the party continues to call for urgent dialogue between the ruling elites and relevant stakeholders to resolve the crisis in the country.

“The party also spoke of dialogue, noting that it must be authentic, inclusive and unconditional. In this regard, the party also noted that there are certain legal and procedural issues related to the interpretation of the founding document of POLAD, the Code of Conduct, which must first be addressed urgently in order to facilitate and intensify inclusive dialogue.

The National Standing Committee has also decided to push for electoral reforms, especially diaspora voting, in the upcoming elections.

“The party has continued to reiterate its calls for social, political and economic reforms aimed at advancing the interests of the people of Zimbabwe.

“This primarily includes electoral reforms aimed at preventing the persistent problem of contested legitimacy in our country. In this regard, the party will advocate for the Diaspora vote,” Witness Dube said.