Zimbabwe’s foreign minister, Sibusiso Moyo, has reportedly died after contracting COVID-19, presidential spokesman George Charamba announced Wednesday.
Sibusiso Moyo, a former army general, was the person who announced the military coup that led to the removal of the late long-serving leader Robert Mugabe in November 2017.
“The nation will be kept apprised of further developments regarding this untimely demise of the late minister, himself a decorated soldier and freedom fighter,” Charamba said.
Sibusiso Moyo and several generals, were rewarded with senior positions in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cabinet and the ruling ZANU-PF party, after helping plot the coup.
In July last year, retired general and agriculture minister Perrance Shiri, who was a cabinet minister, died of the virus.
Zimbabwe like many other African countries, has suffered a surge in COVID-19 infections, with more than half of the 28,675 total cases and 825 deaths being recorded since New Year’s Day.
The government has since tightened movement and travel restriction in the country to help curb the further spreading of the virus.
From September last year, Entry to Zimbabwe was prohibited except for Zimbabwean nationals and foreign nationals with a valid residency visa.
All eligible travellers were screened upon arrival and returning residents and nationals who had a negative COVID-19 certificate valid within 48 hours of arrival were allowed to self-quarantine for 21 days.
Arrivals without a negative certificate were sent to a quarantine facility, where they were to be tested and either discharged for self-quarantine or isolation, based on their status.
In December last year, President Emerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had upped preparations for a nationwide rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the Government having concluded two extensive studies to assess readiness for the deployment of inoculation jabs.
As of January 19, Zimbabwe has recorded 28,675 positive COVID-19 cases, with 18,110 recoveries. 825 people have so far died of COVID-19 related cases in Zimbabwe.