Latin America virus cases top 1m as UK, Russia ease lockdowns

Brasilia, BRAZIL

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Latin America have surged past one million, while hard-hit Britain and Russia eased lockdowns Monday, despite not having their outbreaks fully under control.

Relatives carry the coffin of a suspected COVID-19 victim in the outskirts of Lima, Peru

Governments around the world are moving to ease restrictions that have wrecked their economies, even as the number of cases tops 6.1 million and virus deaths exceed 371,000.

With more than half a million known infections, Brazil now has the second-highest caseload in the world, but its anti-lockdown President Jair Bolsonaro again defied social distancing recommendations on Sunday.

Wearing no face mask, the far-right leader met a tightly packed group of supporters in the capital Brasilia as the crowd chanted "Myth! Myth! Myth!" -- echoing his dismissal of the virus threat.

Bolsonaro has been a staunch opponent of lockdowns as a tool for containing the coronavirus, saying they are unnecessary and harmful to the economy, but he has faced intense criticism from worried state authorities and angry citizens.

Despite his skepticism, the virus rages on in Brazil and other parts of South America, with the situation in Chile, Bolivia and Peru also worsening.

While South America and parts of Africa and Asia have only just started to feel the full force of the pandemic, hard-hit European countries have cautiously begun easing lockdowns as they seek a return to some form of normality.

But experts have cautioned that moving too fast could spell disaster, with no vaccine or effective treatment yet for COVID-19.

In Britain, where schools were set to partially re-open on Monday, some senior government advisers warned things were happening too rapidly.

"COVID-19 spreading too fast to lift lockdown in England," tweeted Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

Hard-hit Russia, which saw an explosion of infections in recent weeks, was also set to re-open shopping malls and parks in Moscow, despite the still-high number of cases.

While Muscovites welcomed the opportunity after weeks of being cooped up at home, many ridiculed Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's "experiment" aimed at regulating people's walks and exercise based on their home address.

Popular comedian Maxim Galkin even released a sketch about President Vladimir Putin and Sobyanin discussing a "breathing schedule" for the capital's residents.

The pandemic has devastated the global economy, which is facing its worst downturn since the Great Depression, and with businesses and citizens growing tired of confinement, there is pressure on many leaders to press on with reopenings -- especially in nations where outbreaks appear to be slowing.

In the United States -- the worst-affected nation in the world -- Washington and Los Angeles resumed outdoor dining, while New York City is on track to begin re-opening from June 8.

In France, parks in Paris opened on the weekend for the first time in months, ahead of restaurants, cafes and bars being allowed to serve on sidewalks and terraces on Tuesday.

Hard-hit Russia, which saw an explosion of infections in recent weeks, was also set to re-open shopping malls and parks in Moscow, despite the still-high number of cases

But health experts have continued to warn of the possibility of a second wave of infections if authorities and citizens let their guard down, especially if they risk large gatherings of people like concerts, festivals and religious services.

With the outbreak in Italy slowing, Pope Francis made his first address to the faithful in Saint Peter's square in nearly three months.

In Saudi Arabia, mask-clad worshippers thronged mosques that opened nationwide -- except in the holy city of Mecca.

"I prayed, praise be to God, in the neighborhood mosque... and it was a beautiful feeling," said one worshipper, though he was concerned about others not taking necessary precautions.

"I swear to God that some people do not care about anything. No face mask. No rug."

Asia was the first continent hit by the virus after it emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, and neighboring countries saw their economies hammered by the outbreak -- especially the aviation and tourism sectors.

Some Asian countries have started on a tentative path to recovery, such as Thailand, which relies heavily on tourist spending. The kingdom has now re-opened beaches nationwide after two months of lockdown to try to revive tourism.

But other, much more populous nations have moved to relax restrictions despite not entirely containing the disease.

India announced it would begin easing the world's biggest lockdown in early June, even as it marked another record daily rise in infections.

Neighboring Bangladesh, meanwhile, lifted its lockdown on Sunday, with millions heading back to work in densely populated cities, even as the country logged record spikes in new deaths and infections.

"I tried to avoid crowds when I walked to my office," banker Badrul Islam told AFP in the Bangladeshi capital. "But social distancing is impossible on Dhaka's footpaths." - AFP

UN extends South Sudan arms embargo

New York, USA

The UN Security Council on Friday approved a resolution extending until May next year an arms embargo on South Sudan and a travel ban and financial sanctions for targeted individuals.

The United States-drafted document received 12 votes in favour, with Russia, China and South Africa abstaining.

The 15-member body first imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan in 2018 and subsequently renewed it in 2019 to prevent a continuation of civil war.

The council additionally scheduled a midterm review of the measures to take place by December 15 and expressed its "readiness to consider adjusting measures."

The body was also asked to provide a report by the end of October on the role of the arms embargo in implementing the 2018 peace deal as well as provide options for developing benchmarks in South Sudan, which is emerging from a ruinous six-year civil war.

The resolution urges South Sudan’s leaders to finalize establishment of the transitional unity government and fully implement the 2018 peace agreement, including allowing unhindered humanitarian access to deliver aid. 

The resolution recognizes that violence has been reduced since the peace deal was signed, that the cease-fire is being upheld in most of the country, and that the unity government is striving to address the coronavirus pandemic.

However it reiterates the council’s concern at the political, security, economic and humanitarian situation in South Sudan and strongly condemns human rights violations, including “harassment and targeting of civil society, humanitarian personnel and journalists.”

It also expresses “deep concern at reports of misappropriation of funds that undermine the stability and security of South Sudan.

In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International welcomed the renewal of the arms embargo.

"It is crucial to curtailing the flow of weapons that have been used to commit war crimes, human rights violations and abuses," said Deprose Muchena, the group's director for East and Southern Africa, calling on all UN members to apply the embargo.

Hundreds of protesters rally in London, Berlin over U.S. death

London, UK

Hundreds of people protested in London and Berlin on Sunday in solidarity with demonstrations in the United States over the death of a black man shown on video gasping for breath as a white policeman knelt on his neck in Minneapolis.

The protesters knelt in central London’s Trafalgar Square, chanting “No justice, no peace”, and then marched past the Houses of Parliament and finished up outside the U.S. Embassy.

The Metropolitan police said they had made five arrests outside the U.S. Embassy, three for violations of the coronavirus lockdown guidelines and two for assault on police.

Several hundred protesters also staged a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, holding up posters saying “Justice for George Floyd”, “Stop killing us” and “Who’s neckst”.

The death of George Floyd after his arrest on Monday has triggered a tide of protests in the United States, unleashing long simmering rage over racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Some rallies have turned violent as demonstrators blocked traffic, set fires and clashed with riot police, some of whom fired tear gas and plastic bullets in an effort to restore order.

Military units respond firmly to terrorist attacks in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique

 

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said Sunday that the country's military units are responding firmly and bravely to the terrorist attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

 

Speaking to the national radio station while on a work visit in that province over the weekend, Nyusi said the results of military operations are encouraging.

 

"We have information that superior members of the enemy force have been shot down. Morale is good," said Nyusi, adding that "the last battles fought by the Defence and Security Forces were huge, they were very productive."

 

Nyusi said works are effective by authorities based in Cabo Delgado on the ground, in the districts of Mocimboa, Quissanga, Muidumbe and Macomia, where the armed terrorists have perpetrated attacks.

 

President Nyusi met with senior figures of the Defense and Security Forces in Cabo Delgado accompanied by the ministers of defence and interior. - Africa

China will supply virus test kits, masks to Africa, Ramaphosa says

Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that China will supply millions of coronavirus test kits and masks to Africa to assist the continent fight the pandemic.

Africa has recorded 142,289 cases of coronavirus with 4,084 deaths according to data from the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention while dealing with shortages in equipments and medical supplies.

Ramaphosa held talks with China’s President Xi Jinping about securing medical supplies earlier in the week.

The South African president said in a briefing to reporters broadcast online on Sunday that, China will ship as many as 30 million test kits, 10,000 ventilators and 80 million masks.

“What we are now doing, is to set up a procurement platform, which we are going to launch next week, which will allow every country on the continent to be able to procure from a central place and benefit” from the Chinese shipments, Ramaphosa said.

South Africa postpones reopening of schools over safety concerns

Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa has pushed back Monday’s reopening of schools by a week, the Department of Basic Education said on Sunday, saying that a substantial number are not ready to welcome back pupils.

The plan for grades 7 and 12, the last years of primary and secondary school respectively, to return on Monday backfired after teachers’ unions and governing associations urged school staff to defy the government order, saying schools did not have protective equipment (PPE) to keep educators and pupils safe.

The department said its decision followed three reports by industry players that raised concerns about the state of readiness.

“The Council of Education Ministers was concerned that, in some provinces, personal protective equipment for learners in particular had not been received and some schools had not been made ready for the arrival of teachers and learners,” it said.

Many of South Africa’s government schools are in poor shape, especially in rural areas, and analysts say that a quarter of them have no running water, making hand-washing nearly impossible.

On Monday schools will reopen only for management teams, teachers and non-teaching staff for instruction on health and safety measures, to finish cleaning and focus on supply chain matters.

Somalia to probe killing of seven health workers

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Somali government will set up a regional commission to probe the killing of seven health workers and report publicly within a month, the head of Hirshabelle state told Reuters on Friday, as the United Nations condemned what it called an outrage.

Masked men abducted the health workers from a healthcare facility in Galooley village, 30 kilometers north of Mogadishu, on Wednesday. Their bodies were found on Thursday.

The kidnapping happened hours after an explosion targeted a Somali military vehicle in the area, a relative of one of the health workers told Reuters, asking not to be identified. It was unclear if the events were related. The federal government did not respond to requests for comment.

The al Shabaab Islamist insurgency is also active in the region, but could not be reached for comment.

President Mohamed Abdi Ware of Hirshabelle State in Somalia said he was forming his own commission of inquiry led by the state justice minister. They will publish their report within a month, he said.

Ware, who previously worked with the Red Cross, said he was outraged.

“I have walked in their shoes as a humanitarian worker,” he said. “This is about as personal as it gets to me.”

Speaking to Reuters, a relative of one of the workers described the abduction, citing witness accounts.

“The health workers were taken out of the centre by masked armed men in military uniform driving a minibus. They blinded them with their own shirts and tied their hands behind their backs using belts. There was also a civilian who they took from his home,” the relative said.

The bodies were bound and blindfolded, he said, and shot in the head and the heart.

Adam Abdelmoula, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, issued a statement saying “I strongly condemn this outrage and await a thorough and transparent investigation.”

Burundi first lady hospitalised in Nairobi on Coronavirus

Nairobi, KENYA

Burundi's first lady was in hospital in Nairobi on Friday, after being flown in on a late-night medical flight, according to sources at the airport and in the presidency.

First lady Denise Bucumi was flown out of Burundi on a Pilatus plane by the AMREF air ambulance service, according to a source at the Melchior Airport in Bujumbura.

A high-ranking government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Bucumi had gone to Nairobi "for treatment as she caught the coronavirus".

This was confirmed by a source in the presidency, also asking not to be named.

However a separate source in the presidency denied it and said she was going for an "endoscopic ulcer exam".

In Kenya, a source at the health ministry, requesting not to be named, said Bucumi had been admitted to hospital and was being treated with "complications of difficulty in breathing".

The source said a test had been done for COVID-19.

There has been no official comment on the health of the first lady.

Kenya's chief administrative secretary for the health ministry Mercy Mwangangi said she could not "confirm yes or no" if Bucumi was in the country receiving treatment for the coronavirus.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, a devout evangelical Christian, and his wife Denise, who is a pastor, have regularly played down the seriousness of the pandemic in their speeches and sermons.

Burundi is one of few countries in the region not to take action against the virus, and recently held general elections, with heaving crowds attending campaign rallies. Voting took place with scant attention paid to the outbreak.

Two weeks ago Burundi expelled the World Health Organisations (WHO) expert team backing the coronavirus response in the country.

On Thursday, during national prayers to thank God for the ruling party's victory in the election, Nkurunziza repeated claims that Burundi was saved from the virus due to "the hand of God".

"If all over the world we talk about the coronavirus pandemic, but we were able to gather without any problem, hold an electoral campaign without any problem, send our children to school and go to the market without worries .... it is the hand of God which shows he has placed a special sign above our Burundi," he said.

"Look here, is anyone wearing a mask?" he asked the packed crowd.

Nkurunziza will be leaving office after 15 years and his handpicked heir Evariste Ndayishimiye was declared the winner of the election.

Burundi has officially reported 42 cases and one death, in statistics not updated since May 17.

However doctors in Bujumbura speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity say many cases and deaths are going unreported. - AFP

COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by end of this year

Washington, USA

 

A vaccine for the novel coronavirus infection could be ready by the end of this year, according to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

 

The top US epidemiologist said in an interview on Wednesday that if all things fall in the right place, we might have a vaccine for Covid-19 by November and December.

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 100 vaccines are being developed across the world, with a handful of candidates already in human trials.

 

Till date, China’s CanSino adenovirus vaccine, Oxford University’s adenovirus vaccine, Moderna’s mRNA vaccine emerged as the top most promising vaccine candidates for COVID-19.

 

“I still think that we have a good chance, if all the things fall in the right place, that we might have a vaccine that would be deployable by the end of the year, by December and November,” Fauci, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, told CNN.

 

Meanwhile, a leading US epidemiologist, Robert Schooley, a professor of medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the results of China’s COVID-19 vaccine trial are ‘very impressive’.

 

According to a study published by the medical journal The Lancet, the phase 1 trial of an Ad5 vectored COVID-19 vaccine in Wuhan, China, has been found to be safe, well-tolerated, and able to generate an immune response against SARS-COV-2 that causes COVID-19 in humans.

 

Fauci said although there are a lot of variables when it comes to dealing with vaccines, development continues to proceed. He said a second wave of coronavirus outbreak ‘could happen’, but the country (US) can prevent it if they open ‘correctly’. “It could happen, but it is not inevitable,” Fauci said.

 

The US top infectious disease physician also said he’s not sure whether hydroxychloroquine should be banned as a treatment for coronavirus.

 

However, he said that the scientific data quite evident now about the lack of efficacy for the anti-malarial drug touted as a ‘game-changer’ by President Donal Trump. Testing of hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19 has been halted by the WHO citing safety concerns.

 

Currently, there’s no specific antiviral agent or vaccine for COVID-19, which has claimed at least 352,494 lives worldwide and infected about 5,638,190 people in 196 countries and territories.

Ntaganzwa Sentenced To Life In Jail Over Genocide Crimes

By Daniel Sabiiti, Kigali RWANDA

The High Court Chamber of International and Cross-border Crimes in Nyanza district has sentenced to life in jail Rwandan Ladislas Ntaganzwa after it found him guilty of genocide crimes in Rwanda in 1994.

Ntaganzwa was found guilty of five crimes including Genocide crime, incitement to commit Genocide, extermination as a crime against humanity, rape as a crime against humanity and murder as a crime against humanity.

Ntaganzwa, 58, who was one of Rwanda’s most wanted genocide suspects and on the list of the most wanted fugitives by the Residual International Criminal Tribunal, has been on trial since his deportation from Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016.

He was born in 1962 in Gasharu, in the Muhambara sector of the commune of Nyakizu (then in the prefecture of Butare in Rwanda), now Huye district, Southern Province.

Before fleeing Rwanda in 1994, he was the bourgmester of Nyakizu commune, a post which gave him authority over his subordinates, which included employees of the commune, members of the communal police, and counselors from various sectors.

Ntaganzwa was also head of the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development- (MRND party) – the then ruling party which is known to have prepared the Genocide and to execute it with its youth wing – interahamwe in the commune of Nyakizu.

According to the indictment, Ladislas Ntaganzwa participated in a plan to exterminate the Tutsi population in his commune from late 1990 until July 1994.

Among other things, this plan included the fuelling of racial hatred and violence, the training and armament of paramilitary units, and the compilation of lists of people to be eliminated.

In carrying out this plan, Ntaganzwa organized and ordered massacres and participated in them personally.

It was indicated that he distributed weapons to civilians on 15 April 1994, and accompanied them, together with members of the national police, to the parish of Cyahinda (commune of Nyakizu).

At that time, Tutsi People who had taken refuge from massacres in Nyakizu parish were surrounded by these civilians and the police under the command of Ntaganzwa, who then asked them to give up everything that was in their possession.

Subsequently, Ntaganzwa was reported to have told the refugees to leave the parish and to return to their homes. When one of them tried to explain to him that they were afraid to do so, Ntaganzwa allegedly ordered his execution.

He then gave the order to attack the others who had sought refuge in the church. Ntaganzwa was said to have taken part personally in this first attack, which caused several deaths and injuries.

Including three judges and a court clerk in the courtroom, the ruling was also accessible via skype at this time where public gatherings are prohibited due to COVID-19. However, in the courtroom, the convict was represented by his lawyer Alex Musonera.

Legally Ntaganzwa can appeal the life sentence in the next five days.

Ntaganzwa was on the list of the nine most wanted genocide fugitives for whom the United States had placed a $5 million bounty.

In the last two weeks, the whereabouts and/or fate of two more fugitives got to be known.

Félicien Kabuga was arrested on Saturday May 16 in Paris-France . He is believed to be the key financier of the Genocide.. A week later, Augustin Bizimana, one of the major fugitives alleged to have been a senior leader of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi was confirmed dead.

Bizimana’s remains were found in a gravesite in Pointe Noire, the Republic of the Congo after investigation and laboratory tests of the International Residual Mechanism Criminal Tribunal.

The remaining major fugitive is Protais Mpiranya, former commander of the Presidential Guard of the Rwandan Armed Forces, Fulgence Kayishema, Phénéas Munyarugarama, Aloys Ndimbati, Ryandikayo and Charles Sikubwabo. - KTPress

Burundi opposition leader files case contesting presidential vote

Burundi opposition leader Agathon Rwasa

NAIROBI, Kenya

Burundian opposition leader Agathon Rwasa filed on Thursday a case at the constitutional court challenging last week’s presidential election outcome, saying he had evidence of fraud.

Burundi’s election commission said on Monday the ruling party candidate, retired General Evariste Ndayishimiye, had won the presidential election with 69% of votes cast.

It said Rwasa had garnered 24% of the vote.

The commission’s Chairman Pierre Claver Kazihise said the turnout had been huge and the election was peaceful.

“Appalling errors were made across the country, no district or province was spared. We have provided evidence that there has been a massive fraud,” Rwasa told reporters after filing his complaint.

“The announced results are false.”

He said the court had eight days to decide the case.

The May 20 vote to replace President Pierre Nkurunziza, however, had been preceded by political violence including the arrest, torture and murder of opposition activists, according to a local rights group.

There was also controversy over holding the election during the coronavirus crisis.

Hundreds of Burundians were killed and hundreds of thousands exiled after unrest surrounding the last election in 2015, when the opposition accused Nkurunziza of violating a peace deal by running for a third term.

Rwasa said the evidence in his filing showed that people had voted using dead voters’ identities and use of an electoral register which has never been published by the electoral body and ballot box stuffing.

The Conference of Bishops of Burundi on Tuesday also criticised the election conduct, saying some parties’ observers had been chased from polling stations.

The electoral body’s officials were not immediately reachable to comment on Rwasa’s complaints.

Five other candidates also stood in the polls, in which 5.11 million registered voters were eligible to participate.

Tanzania medics probe role of herbs in decline of Covid-19 cases

Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA

The Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) experts are carrying a study to find out how the use of traditional remedies has contributed to the reduction of COVID-19 cases in the country.

President of the association, Dr Elisha Osati

President of the association, Dr Elisha Osati told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday that since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March, various herbal medicines have been used by patients to prevent and cure symptoms of coronavirus.

“Assessment conducted has indicated a significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 patients at different centres and hospitals.” Said Osati, noting that MAT will soon deliver a professional analysis on efficacy of various natural remedies.

He said that even the patients in need of ventilators are now in good condition.

Osati emphasized that the profession cannot ignore alternative medicines as many Tanzanians use herbs. “Most patients suffering from coronavirus are using lemon and ginger which are rich in vitamin C to strengthen their body immune system.” He elaborated.

The MAT President said the herbal medicines might have played a huge role in curing patients from the new virus, intoning that following advice and taking precautions as directed by health experts helped to cut numbers of infections.

“Tanzanians responded well to advice given by health experts, to wear face masks, wash hands regularly and observe social distancing. We believe this has also helped to fight the pandemic,” he stated.

“We also commend the crucial role played by service providers in the health sector including doctors, nurses and midwives. They spent sleepless nights to ensure Tanzanians are healed from the deadly disease,” Osati underlined, urging patients who are still at home to prudently seek medication in health facilities.

He reminded the public to adhere to government directives on protective measures against the virus such as frequent hand washing, sanitizing, observing social distancing and wearing face masks.

The government must ensure that all essential equipment are available to health workers to facilitate smooth and safe execution of their duties, he stated.

Shadrack Mwaibambe, a MAT official, highlighted the health benefits of ginger saying it contains a lot of zinc mineral which boosts the development of blood cells.

Zinc is essential in blood development so its consumers stand a better chance to fight the disease, he affirmed.

Research has also shown that out of 90 dead bodies tested in Italy indicated that Covid-19 infections cause blood clotting, a problem that can be fought by consuming ginger, he specified.

Recently, Researchers at the Tanzania Forests Research Institute (TAFORI) identified 10 types of trees which can treat early symptoms of Covid-19.

TAFORI Acting Director General, Revocatus Mushumbusi, said the trees are locally known as Mlungulungu, Nengo Nengo, Mwatya, Mlundalunda, Mfutwambula, Ningiwe, Mgada, Mondo, Msana and Mzima, whose roots and leaves have been treating various diseases that have symptoms akin to Covid-19.

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) recently partnered with the Ministry of Health to develop guidelines on how and what type of traditional medicines can be used for helping Covid-19 patients.

NIMR Director General, Yunus Mgaya weighed in on ongoing confusion about the use of traditional medicines, saying the research outfit had started working with other agencies to develop guidelines on the matter. It has since started marketing its own organic product, NIMRCAF.

700 Zimbabwe dead bodies repatriated from S. Africa during lockdown

By Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge ZIMBABWE

Nearly 700 Zimbabweans have died in South Africa during the ongoing lockdown meant to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

Zimbabwe’s consul-general to Johannesburg, Melody Chaurura said yesterday that documents had been processed for the repatriation of the remains of 693 Zimbabweans from the neighbouring country between March 30 and May 22.

She said the bodies were repatriated by road via Beitbridge Border Post.

Chaurura said the destinations of the bodies were spread across the country and most of the people died due to natural causes. “During the period under review we processed documents to repatriate remains of 693 for burial in Zimbabwe,” she said.

Chaurura said the repatriation process had not changed and her office stands guided by recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“Under the system, all bodies being repatriated to Zimbabwe for burial will be treated as contagious except in cases where the cause of death is a road accident, murder or other body injuries. All the bodies now require the clearance of the Ministry of Health and Child Care prior to their transportation to Zimbabwe under the usual procedures,” she said.

Chaurura said relatives accompanying bodies are now being subjected to mandatory quarantine at any port of entry upon arrival in the country before proceeding to the various destinations.

Zimbabwean and South African health authorities came up with stringent measures recently to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

The move follows consultations among South African based funeral parlours and authorities from the two neighbouring countries.

Chaurura said it was important for Zimbabweans who seek to travel home to note that they will have to undergo 21 days of mandatory quarantining upon arrival.

“We are happy that our host Government has been granting permits to those who request to travel back to Zimbabwe on varying personal emergencies including bereavement,” said Chaurura.

Besides the Ministry of Health and Child Care clearance, a birth certificate or national identification documents of the deceased are needed at the Consulate for documentation for those travelling by road.

In the case of the remains being flown, a passport is mandatory as well as a copy of the informant’s particulars and a burial order.

On average it costs R15 000 to transport a body from South Africa to Zimbabwe by road.