Zimbabwe's MPs demand sanitisers in parliament for coronavirus prevention

Zimbabwe's MPs have demanded sanitisers which will help protect them from possible contracting and spreading of the coronavirus among themselves and staff in signs of panic among the country's globe-trotting lawmakers.

This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the dreaded disease a world pandemic.

Marondera Central MP Caston Mateu Thursday urged Parliament authorities to take caution and precautionary measures to avoid the possible spread of the disease within the building.

"We as a nation, as an institution and as Members of Parliament, we need to take precautionary measures. When MPs, staff and visitors are coming into the complex, we need to be given sanitisers or sanitiser towels to show that our safety is of great importance," he said.

"I can give you an example where in Iran, 37 Members of Parliament have been affected by coronavirus and in the United Kingdom. I also implore authorities to take measures against those countries that pose as high risk to our citizens and travel restrictions must be imposed on their citizens to Zimbabwe. Such countries are Italy, China and Iran like what Lesotho has done today (Thursday)," said Mateu.

Lesotho has barred all citizens from where the coronavirus has been detected to visit the mountain kingdom.

On Wednesday Gokwe-Nembudziya MP, Mayor Justice Wadyajena came to Parliament wearing a medical mask prompting other members to shout at him saying "Une coronavirus iwe buda (you have infected with coronavirus, please leave)."

Surprisingly, the Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi, ordered the MP to take the mask off, but Wadyajena declined.