Rutenga was crowded with shoppers and loiters today but most of them were gone by 12 mid-day. Many people indicated they were against the extension,  saying they were being forced into the worse of two hard situations where, according to them, livelihoods should come first. In Mutare, a few money changers were seen conducting their trade while a long queue formed behind TM Dangamvura for subsdised mealie-meal. The decentralisation of the morning market from Sakubva to other areas saw many people crwding at the shopping complex to buy and sell. Subsidised mealie-meal was also being sold at Mucheke High School in Masvingo. Queues in Mpandawana were well-managed and orderly.

Mpandawana Gutu

Mpandawana, Gutu

Mpandawana, Gutu

Fresh produce market, Dangamvura, Mutare

Fresh produce market, Dangamvura, Mutare

Chiredzi

Chiredzi

Rutenga

Rutenga

Mealie-meal queue, Mucheke, Masvingo

The final day of the lockdown was characterised by greater quietness in many areas covered by our citizen journalists. Being a Sunday most probably helped matters as Sundays are usually quieter than ordinary business days. Just like yesterday, which marked the country’s 40 years of independence from white minority rule, more people stayed indoors than any other recent days.

Masvingo CBD

Masvingo CBD

Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri with members of the Masvingo Covid-19 Provincial Taskforce in Chiredzi

Mutare

Mutare

Mutare

Mutare

Masvingo

The penultimate day of the lockdown was the quietest April 18 over the past four decades, with all stadia and open arenas being empty. The day, which marked the country’s 40 years of independence from colonial rule, was characterised by greater tranquility as more people stayed at home in areas that have were monitored since the lockdown began. Queues to get into shops were probably the bigggest irritation. In Mutare, the city council has now decentralised the morning fresh produce market from Sakubva to Hob House, Chikanga and Dangamvura as part of efforts to decongest the market. Many people, however, queued to get into TM supermarket in Dangamvura. The police teamed up with security personnel at big shops at Rutenga growth point in Mwenezi to help prevent squeezing and to maintain orderly queues.

Yeukai shopping centre, Masvingo

Yeukai shopping centre, Masvingo

Chiredzi

Chiredzi

Chiredzi

Chiredzi

Mucheke Stadium, Masvingo

Rutenga growth point, Mwenezi

Sisk business centre, Masvingo

Dangamvura business centre, Mutare

Sakubva bus terminus Mutare

In Bikita South Ward 8, Mukore business centre, there was a World Food Programme (WFP) food aid distribution where people mixed and mingled, seemingly with reckless abandon. Many residents queued for for LP gas at Maps Petroleum Dangamvura, Mutare, with some of them saying electricity had become too expensive for them to use it for cooking. A longer queue of motorists existed at the adjuscent fuel station, with money changers taking full advantage of their opportunity. At Dangamvura business centre, a shop continued to sell goods illicitly through the window after the 15: 00 hrs closing time. In Masvingo, there was a discernible increase of shoppers in town, and it was alarming to see a tightly-knit long queue of people waiting for their turn to get into Pick n Pay supermarket. The queue at Nyanigwe supermarket was similarly bad, as opposed to OK supermarket where people queued in a more orderly manner, with police officers requiring people to leave a one-metre gap or more between each other. There was fear at Rutenga growth point after a truck from the Support Unit division of the police, which was driving from Dhavata to Buchwa, stopped for some moments.  A group of money changers who had been doing business prior, as well as other petty loiters on the streets, quickly disappeared from the scene but they reappeared after the vehicle drove off.

Dangamvura shopping centre, Mutare

Mukore busines centre, Bikita

Mukore business centre, Bikita

Rutenga growth point, Mwenezi

Pick n Pay supermarket, Masvingo

Rutenga growth point, Mwenezi

Hippo Valley Chiredzi; Tongaat Hulett Covid-19 donation

A queue for LP gas in Dangamvura, Mutare

Dangamvura, Mutare

Dangamvura, Mutare

Subsidised mealie-meal was being sold at Rujeko Primary School in Masvingo today, and the queues were orderly, thanks to the efforts of the police and a residents’ organisation MASDRRA. The police also maintained a strict presence on the roadbocks, turning back anybody without a convincing reason to travel. Such was also the kind of police presence in Mwenezi where people suspected of loitering were stopped for questioning. Some residents of Chiredzi were seen going into the bush to gather firewood. Many people say the lull in electricity loadshedding no longer helps as electricity is now more expensive than ever, and they can no longer afford to use their electric stoves to cook.

Rutenga

Rutenga

Marange

Chiredzi

Chiredzi

Chiredzi

Rutenga

Birchenough

Birchenough