- As of January 26, confirmed cases of Covid-19 from 55 African countries reached 3,454,580 with reported deaths in Africa at 85,955.
- In just two weeks, four member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) lost a total of 10 cabinet ministers
Africa’s COVID19 toll is galloping and as of January 26, confirmed cases of the Pandemic from 55 African countries reached 3,454,580 with reported deaths in Africa at 85,955. In just two weeks, four member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) lost a total of 10 cabinet ministers to the novel virus.
Zimbabwe lost four Ministers while Malawi lost two.Joel Matiza, the transport minister became the fourth serving minister in Zimbabwe President’s cabinet to succumb to the virus. Just a few days prior to that the country lost its Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo. On Friday last week, Zimbabwe also lost its minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Ellen Gwaradzimba. Former minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Perrance Shiri also succumbed to the virus in August last year.
Amid a spike in coronavirus infections in Malawi, Transport minister Sidik Mia and Local Government minister Lingson Berekanyama passed away last week.
Two cabinet ministers and a Prime Minister of Eswatini lost their lives to the Covid-19 pandemic in the past two weeks while South Africa lost one Minister. Mr Makhosi Vilakati, the Minister of Labour and Social Security became the second cabinet minister to die from Covid-19 after Minister of Public Service Christian Ntshangase, who died last week. Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini died of COVID-19 in December last year while undergoing treatment in South Africa.
Last week South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the demise of the minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu at 62 — from complications related to Covid-19.
In June last year that Burundi’s Ex-President Peirre Nkurunziza succumbed to Covid-19.Six months later, Burundi’s former president Pierre Buyoya lost his life to the Pandemic in Paris.
