Zimbabwe president thanks China after receiving second vaccine donation

Zimbabwe's president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was present at the airport as the country took delivery of a second batch of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines. It comes four weeks after the arrival of the first batch.

There was full roll out of red carpet on the tarmac of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe airport as the Air Zimbabwe flight landed.

According to the government, the consignment includes a Chinese donation of 200,000 doses and 144,000 doses purchased by the government. The president, however, said the consignment contained 400,000 doses.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa described the vaccines as "yet another huge milestone in our country’s steady path back to normality."

The Chinese ambassador and other high ranking officials were present at the airport to receive the consignment.

The southern African country has a total case load of 36,504 cases and 1,504 deaths since the pandemic started.

Harare is aiming to inoculate 10 million people, the national vaccination program was rolled out last month with vice-president Constantino Chiwenga receiving the first shot.

Today's delivery of Chinese vaccines is the best interpretation of solidarity between our two countries and our two peoples. All capable countries should do what they can to provide vaccines to developing countries to enable people of the world benefit from affordable vaccines. pic.twitter.com/9OiStcL1tC

— Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe (@China_Amb_Zim) March 16, 2021