Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officers in Kariba have reportedly demanded to know the motive behind the Citizens Initiative’s donation of masks (PPEs) for COVID-19 to Kariba Town Council.
This was revealed by Freeman Chari, a United States-based Biomedical Scientist and social activist who has been leading various initiatives to raise funds for vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe. He tweeted:
We received a phone call from CIO (President’s Office) Kariba questioning the motive of Citizens Initiative’s donation of masks (PPEs) for Covid to Kariba Town Council. This is really sad! Is that the real job of intelligence operatives to be watching donations? Come on!
Chari is the founder of the Citizens Initiative, a movement that has been mobilising funds for protecting Zimbabwean healthcare workers, who are complaining about shortages of protective personal equipment in all state hospitals in the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19.
In the aftermath of the devastating Tropical Cyclone Idai natural disaster in 2019, Chari initiated a GoFundMe campaign which raised thousands of dollars that were used to repair damaged infrastructure in Eastern Zimbabwe.