PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has announced plans to tighten lockdown regulations for Harare and Bulawayo after infections spiked to 885 as of Wednesday, with local infections also rising. BY MOSES MATENGA But critics said the surge in COVID-19 cases was now being used as an excuse to frustrate planned public demonstrations by civic groups and opposition activists on July 31. The troubled southern African country recorded 98 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, with 47 being local transmissions. The previous day, it recorded 53 new cases, including 34 locally-transmitted infections. Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said the rising infections had become a cause for concern and restricting movement had become inevitable. “Harare has the vast majority of positive COVID-19 cases. Yesterday (Tuesday), Bulawayo recorded 30 of the 53 positive cases,” Mangwana said. “If there is any scaling up of containment measures, a more surgical approach is better. It means full-scale lockdown should only apply to Harare and Bulawayo.” Mangwana said events in neighbouring South Africa from where the highest number of returnees are coming, meant that a tightening of movement was needed. “We are concerned with the escalation of COVID-19. We see what is happening across the Limpopo, we see tenders to dig a million graves and we don’t want this to happen to Zimbabwe,” Mangwana told NewsDay yesterday. Zimbabwe is on an indefinite level 2 lockdown after introducing its first COVID-19 measures on March 30. Mnangagwa last month relaxed the measures twice, citing the need to balance health and economic interests. This was after his administration, struggling to revive an economy ravaged by hyperinflation, failed to get a bailout package advanced to other African countries by international financial institutions. Last night, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa described the planned political protests as “posturing”, saying they were not helpful and that citizens must not be complacent, but should remain steadfast in the fight against COVID-19. “In the same vein, we want to emphasise that the Second Republic embraces democratic principles and is in the midst of far reaching reforms which deepen and widen the democratic space. “Zimbabweans, we are in the midst of an existential threat. Any political posturing is not helpful. We, therefore, call upon public figures and political players to act responsibly with the safety of Zimbabweans in mind,” she said. “Any call for mass action at this time is an unnecessary stoking of infection risk to the nation. This country cannot afford adventurism in the midst of this threat to our very existence. “Indeed, in the face of COVID-19, government continues to do its best to mitigate the impact of this pandemic. We continue to review and update our COVID-19 response and action plan in line with prevailing conditions in the country and new information coming from the World Health Organisation.” Observers said the move to relock Harare and Bulawayo confirmed assertions that Mna