In fact, this is not simply unsettling but positively unnerving and a cause of great concern. What were these ‘flu-like illnesses’ that were able to take the lives of seemingly healthy individuals? The government of Zimbabwe was swift to allay any fears of a resurgence of the deadly COVID-19 disease – which wrecked untold havoc across the globe between 2019 and 2021. To date, an estimated 7 million people worldwide have reportedly succumbed to the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus – with nearly 6,000 in Zimbabwe.
This resulted in the imposition of suffocating travel and gathering restrictions – which brought the world to a standstill in order to curtail and curb the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of these unprecedented severe restrictions and lockdowns, the world was left with no choice but to hold important international events online. Even the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, which opened on 15th September 2020, was held virtually for the first time in history since the UN was founded in 1945.
Our own regional body was not spared either, as the 40th SADC Summit – hosted by Mozambique on 17th August 2020 – was, for the first time in history, also held in a virtual format. This so-called ‘new normal’ proved to be a blessing in disguise – in spite of the undeniable tragedies – as novel ways of doing business and interaction came into force. Conducting very importing meetings online caught on really quickly – which proved extremely c.