Zimbabwe Transport minister dies of Covid-19

Zimbabwe Transport and Infrastructure Minister Engineer Joel Biggie Matiza has died of Covid-19.

This was confirmed late Friday by government spokesperson Nick Mangwana.

Matiza is said to have been hospitalised this past week.

He is also former Mashonaland East governor and was current Zanu PF provincial chairperson.

Matiza becomes the fourth serving government minister to die of the dreaded disease and third minister to succumb in just a single week.

Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri died of the vicious respiratory disease late last year while Manicaland provincial affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba and Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo both died early this week.

Zimbabwe government officials are under siege from the disease with both Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi reportedly under the claws of the pandemic.

Outside the incumbents, former minister Aeneas Chigwedere and ex-Zanu PF MP Christopher Chigumba both died this Friday from the disease that has killed nearly 1,000 and infected over 30 000.