COVID-19 exposes social protection gaps

RIGHTS lawyers yesterday said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed flaws in the country’s social protection system, which has had catastrophic impact on citizens’ livelihoods.

In a statement to commemorate World Day of Social Justice, which is celebrated on February 20 every year, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) implored the government to accelerate efforts to eliminate social injustice and to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a universal agenda.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the growing digital divide within our society, especially in terms of access to Internet, availability, affordability, and thereby deepening existing inequalities, and this calls us to continuously adapt to digital transformations,” ZLHR said in a statement.

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