Background to this Policy Brief
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus of 2019) around the world which started in December 2019 in
China, a number of measures have been put in place by different governments. In Zimbabwe President Emmerson
Mnangagwa declared the COVID-19 crisis a “national disaster” on Friday, March 27, 2020 and proclaimed a national
lockdown which started on 30 March 2020 as a measure to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This
lockdown had been adjusted several times and has spanned beyond the 200 days by the time this report was
compiled. What started off as a public health crisis soon spawned a governance and human rights crisis. The Citizens’
Manifesto took time to reflect on the crisis with marginalised communities to understand the impact of the COVID-19
on their communities. This report analyses the legal and policy framework that followed the outbreak of COVID-19,
the impact on marginalised communities as well as making key policy recommendations necessary for Zimbabwe to
emerge stronger from the crisis.