by Staff Reporters
In an effort to promote transparency and accountability, Government yesterday published in The Sunday Mail and The Sunday News, a list of all donations made towards the fight against COVID-19 to date.
The consolidated report follows President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s pledge that all COVID-19 donations, regardless of size or monetary value, will be accounted for and put to good use.
“All donations being made by corporates and individuals towards the fight against COVID-19 will be put to good use and accounted for,” President Mnangagwa said, while receiving some donations at State House, last month.
In the list released yesterday by Government, corporates, development partners, individuals, governments such as the United States, China, European Union, stakeholders from the tourism sector, churches and local companies such as Sakunda have all donated towards the cause.
Donations made in all the country’s 10 Provinces and received by the Provincial Civil Protection teams were all highlighted in the list.
The donated items include cash, personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, gloves, portable ventilators, sanitizers, disposable caps and fuel.
Other companies donated food items, disinfectants, knapsack sprayers, and toiletries among others.
To show high level of transparency and accountability over the donated items, even the smallest donations of Ecocash ZWL$2 was highlighted on the published list.
According to the published list, the largest donation came from Chinese businessman Jack Ma who donated 20 000 tests kits, 100 000 masks and 1 000 medical use protective suits.
Some of the notable donations which were highlighted in the list include US$ 23,6 million,US$25 million from Global Fund,us$10 million from African Development Bank, US$470 000 from the USA Government, and ZWL$700 000 from Puma Energy.
Non-Governmental Organisations such as World Vision Zimbabwe donated fuel while Save the Children donated detergents among others.
The Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana said all those who had donated and had their names omitted on the published list were free to come forward so that the error could be corrected.
The publication of all COVID-19 donations for public consumption came as a blow to the opposition parties who were claiming that the donations will be abused by Government.
