The Zimbabwe Republic Police will only set up security checkpoints for purposes of enforcing the national lockdown after the morning and evening rush-hours, that is, 6.30 am and 10 am and from 3.30 pm to 6 pm, respectively.
In a post on microblogging site Twitter this Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana, however, said the curfew remains from 6.30 pm to 6 am. He wrote:
The current enforcement of lockdown measures has been reviewed. Roadblocks will only start after the rush hours of 6.30 am to 10 am. Between 10 am and 6.30 pm, there will be roadblocks whose purpose is to enforce the lockdown and keep people safe. Curfew remains 6.30 pm to 6 am.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe added that police roadblocks to enforce lockdown movements will be in place between 10 am and 3.30 pm during the day. The 6.30 pm to 6 am curfew remains in place. Kazembe tweeted:
To facilitate movement to and from work people will be allowed to travel between 0600hrs to 1000hrs in the morning and between 1530hrs and 1800hrs after which the curfew will kick in. In between 1000hrs and 1530hrs police will continue to enforce the lockdown regulations
This comes after a police roadblock along Seke Road at the Hunyani River Bridge caused vehicular congestion stretching over a kilometre as motorists failed to travel to Harare during the rush hour.
The traffic congestion has also been witnessed in all other major roads leading to Harare Central Business District, with members of the public expressing outrage over the delays.