THE High Court has ordered the Health and Information ministries to provide daily updates on COVID-19 in all the 16 languages recognised in the Constitution and through all available platforms for the benefit of the citizens.
BY CHARLES LAITON
The order was issued by High Court judge Justice Joseph Mafusire on Friday last week following an urgent chamber application filed by Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe, through its lawyer Rudo Magundani of Scanlen and Holderness.
The judge ordered, with immediate effect, that the two ministries should publish and disseminate on all available platforms, the daily COVID-19 updates issued by the Health ministry.
Justice Mafusire further ordered Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa to provide a list of all private and public COVID-19 testing and treatment centres available at national, provincial and district levels; the type and quantity of medical equipment they have; as well as details of how other well-wishers could assist in the fight against the diseases.
The judge also ordered the Information ministry to disseminate, on a regular basis, information about plans put in place both during and after lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19. Following the court’s ruling, Misa-Zimbabwe issued a communiqué, urging government to comply with the court order.
