BY SILAS NKALA THE Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has expressed concern over the government’s failure to fulfill its pledge of providing cushioning allowances to the informal sector since the start of COVID-19 lockdown in March last year. In a statement yesterday, the ZHRC said it was concerned by the absence of measures to mitigate the effects of the restrictions to vulnerable populations. “ZHRC notes that the majority of the population of at least 60% is in the informal sector which is among those required to shut down operations. ZHRC has observed from March to December 2020 that the lockdown measures negatively affected the standards of living of the majority of the populace in both urban and rural communities,” the ZHRC statement said. “However, as of December 2020, ZHRC noted that the pledges were yet to be fulfilled resulting in some people struggling to access food, among other basic necessities.” ZHRC also said the health sector was failing to effectively handle positive COVID-19 cases with some people dying while seeking healthcare. They also said that the right to education should not be compromised, adding that it was children from low-income families who would be affected the most. “Government should honour its pledges and commitments to cushion the informal sector and the public, especially regarding access to a decent standard of living and food security.” Follow Silas on Twitter @silasnkala