By Frank Kamuntu
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa was a few days ago seen sitting next to Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who has since placed him in self-quarantine after a visit to neighbouring Namibia, which is infested with the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) .
His Excellency Mnangagwa was thereafter expected to have come down with the virus on Sunday when he started sweating profusely while watching TV at his state residence in Harare. That was after he had had a tour of the complex with his Vice President Chiwenga and his Chinese counterparts the previous day.
However a highly placed source last night revealed to the press that the president was vomiting, had complained of chest pains and high temperature after having his meal. Private doctors accompanied by health Minister Obaidah Moyo were immediately summoned by Presidential family.
They also invited Presidential doctors who came in around 10:00 Pm and after an hour he was driven by ambulance accompanied by the presidential guards to Manyame Airbase where there is a VIP health facility. At the recommendations of Minister Moyo, Mnangagwa was tested for Coronavirus. He is currently being treated by private doctors, military and Chinese doctors deployed by the embassy.
Mnangagwa has underlying conditions with his nearly fatal ice-cream poisoning in 2017. The source said it was a recurrence of his past medical problems.
Previous government advice warned people to self-isolate for 21 days if they had been in contact with someone known to have the virus and the late Journalist Zororo Makamba had been to his offices recently.
A source said: “After Mnangagwa was diagnosed, instead of self-isolating he went over to other sites addressing party structures.
“Instead of doing the sensible thing, he has potentially passed it on to all the Chinese working over there, as well as a number of civil servants and officials he’s been in touch with,” George Charamba, Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for Presidential Communications
He added that; “There are quite a few people in Munhumutapa and Zanu PF HQ who have got it now.”
It’s not only those but also Mthuli Ncube, the Finance Minister, is understood to have been taken into isolation after he showed mild symptoms although he is recovering at home after he recently returned from Europe and met with Makamba.
