WATCH: Vaccines donated by China arrive in Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean government welcomed its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines on Sunday, which according to officials would first undergo rigorous examinations before being rolled out.

According to state publication, the Sunday Mail, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe aimed to complete assessments of the vaccines within 48 hours before immediately starting the rollout.

In the east Asian superpower’s first shipment of vaccine donations to Africa, China sent 200 000 doses to arrive on Monday while 600 000 more were expected to arrive in early March.

President of the International Cross-Border Traders Association (ICTA) Dennis Juru welcomed the event, saying this should make for a smoother process of opening up the borders for the starved informal trading sector, which relied on travel through Zimbabwe’s borders as the gateway between South Africa and the rest of Africa.

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According to Juru, President Emmerson Mnangagwa was expected to make an announcement on the border reopening on Monday afternoon or later this week.

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