When a Zambian couple that travelled to France were reported as the first officially tested victims of the Corona Virus in the country, the Zambian social media machinery went full throttle to insult them, instead of taking a compassionate stance for the couples’ situation. The couples’ pictures were uncontrollably shared all over social media by many Zambians that took it so personal, without considering the trauma the couple were going through. Of course, a lot would argue that the couple were irresponsible to have travelled abroad during this period. Nevertheless, in critical situations like this, how one contracted the disease is immaterial, but how the disease could be contained, and how the victim could come out of danger as quickly as possible without endangering others matters most.
The above mentioned could just be a tip of an iceberg because during the same period, it is possible there was a great number of Zambians and Zambian residents that went in and out of the Corona Virus affected countries. This is because at that time, there was no strict government blueprint to deter people from taking non-essential trips abroad apart from some scanty lip-service advice. Consequently, there is a big chance that the people with the Corona Virus in the country are many, also, considering how the numbers are increasing by day. But, because of the abuse that is coming with being tested positive, many people may be shunning going for medical testing, lest the Zambian community abuses them. The current social environment in Zambia can make people fake not to have the virus just because of being scared of being labelled as “the one with the Corona Virus”.
Subsequently, the Chinese that self-quarantined himself\herself at a working place in Zambia did not report his\her predicament to the medical authorities probably because of the fear of how the Zambian public was going to react in case he\she tested positive for the Corona Virus. It is common knowledge that the people that are spreading the Corona Virus domestically within countries are the people that do not even know that they are carrying the virus. Therefore, to intervene on this, people should be willing to go for medical tests, especially when they are feeling any of the signs that have been established by the medical experts.
However, with the kind of an abusive culture that Zambia is slowly building, the chance that people that have interacted with Corona Virus victims, and are feeling the signs will go for medical testing is slim, as they are thinking twice of being open about it. The Zambian authorities should be more proactive in creating a conducive environment where people can freely test without being stigmatised, worse still, abused. Currently, the Zambian government is not emphasising on this when giving daily updates on the Corona Virus and the corresponding measures being implemented. Instead, there is some kind of intimidation from the authorities, making people have a certain amount of fear, than the willingness to test openly that can lead to containing the disease as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, Zambians with diverse views that have contributed their take on the Corona Virus pandemic have received insults left, right, and centre. The politicians, and other health, religious, educational, and social commentators that have contributed their thoughts around the virus have highly been abused by a large section of the Zambian community at home and abroad, especially on social media platforms. Zambians should realise that, these are unprecedented times that call for every effort, and every contribution towards containing the virus, as there is no one method to contain the situation.
Creating light moments in times of calamities such as this period is important, however, it should not be in form of abusing the victims and creating unnecessary stigma around the disease. Social media and other online news spaces in Zambia are not being utilised positively to help with the situation, but being used as tools to abuse those that are willing to contribute their diverse thoughts. The readers on the aforesaid media spaces are not only propagating abusive feedback to people and authorities trying to help the situation, but unfortunately also using it to peddle unsubstantiated rumours on the emergence and prevention of the virus. Therefore, the Corona Virus frenzy is slowly cultivating a culture of prejudice, stereotype, discrimination, and even xenophobia in our communities in Zambia, unless the authorities deliberately intervene.
Look at how the authorities put the Cholera victims in Heroes Stadium, and then exposed them to both local and international media during the last Cholera outbreak in Lusaka.
From a general perspective, the Zambian authorities should avoid putting the Corona Virus victims on the spot by protecting them as much as they can. Look at how the authorities put the Cholera victims in Heroes Stadium, and then exposed them to both local and international media during the last Cholera outbreak in Lusaka. This caused a lot of panic among the victims, and actually made some victims not to report their cases to the medical authorities for fear of being put on the spot, and attracting unnecessary stereotype and prejudice from the members of the public. Against this background, there is need for the authorities to devise ways to protect the privacy and integrity of the victims in a society that has built negativity towards people affected by the Corona Virus and other ailments that can easily position victims in a negative limelight.
After all, Zambia has had the HIV/AIDS epidemic that ravaged the country in recent years that it can learn massively from. It is common knowledge that, one of the reasons Zambia failed to contain the HIV/AIDS epidemic was because of the stigma and discrimination that was attached to it, especially in the early stages of the disease. People could never come out in open if they discovered or suspected that they were HIV/AIDS positive because of the fear of being discriminated and rebuked by society, including some immediate family members. This situation made the HIV/AIDS to get worse by day because people were scared to be tested, later on put on some treatment, as they kept spreading it unknowingly.
Here we are as Zambians, back at the same stage, but only with a different virus. Are we going to walk the same path, when we know that this path is a wrong one based on our experiences with the HIV/AIDS? We can do much better this time around. We should instead help spread kindness and support to each other, and to the victims, so that together we can contain the virus. We need to enlighten individuals and groups peddling negative views that can instigate a form of discrimination and fear in the victims and the Zambian society at large. Therefore, let us all fight the Corona Virus, and not the people purported to be carrying it, or the people trying to fight it from different medical, social, economic, political or academic fronts.
By Kabanda Mwansa
The author is a Zambian social commentator and a PhD research fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences.
Very thoughtful, we need such men and women with divergent and intelligent views in these times. There is too much hate these days, especially here on Lusaka Times, and on some WhatsApp mismanaged groups. Let us all rise as one and challenge this virus, as pointing fingers at each other, especially ba Politician will only worsen the situation.
But the travellers MUST observe self isolation but from look of things they are busy interacting with the community hence putting masses at risk and medical facilities won’t contain the pressure. More lives will be lost in the name of stopping stigma. People Infact are not stigmatising the Pakistan Muslim Indian guys but their bad manners. The Muslim’s in Zambia were quick on Sunday last week to suspend mosque worship having known very well that it’s their brothers who went to Pakistan who were infected. They should announced to the nation in the same press conference they had that black Zambians must not visit and report for work in the companies for these Indians but they hid the information. You want poor Zambians to die and Indians with money to remain? That’s irresponsible…
I agree with the concerns and advice given in the article. Society and leadership alike need ro improve attitudes and actions. Health practitioners too, in respecting the privacy of patients and their medical information. Attitudes have indeed become more dangerous than the disease in developing countries like zambia. I do, however think it is necessary to emphasise the responsobility of patients too. According to available information, the first two people that were infected acted very responsibly and respected the quarantine requirements. This is evidenced by the fact that no apparent infections have taken place from them. It seems, however, that the next set of infected people did not act as responsibly. I don’t need to elaborate. In other countries, people are self isolating…
This kind of stigma will be over very soon because we shall be affected very soon. We are not taking precautions seriously. Zambia needs a lockdown sooner than later.
I was at Soweto Market yesterday and what I saw was sad. People are free to mingle without observing Social Distances. Commuter buses are loading people in the usual manner. It was business as usual at Soweto Market. Why stop people from overcrowding at Churches and bars when market places and buses are overcrowded as well? The Prime Minister of Italy in now on his needs praying to God because the situation is out of control.
Contd. In other countries people are self osolating even within the family home ie being confined to only one room, with close management of disinfection after using the bathroom. Responsible actions by each one of us will save lives. This includes sparing a kind thought to help our poorest who cannot afford to stay away from their hand to mouth economic activities and cant afford handsanitiser or don’t have good access to information.
Any one found spreading hateful abhorrent messages that stigmatize any person in Zambia will face the law. I will personally see to it that the long arm of the law deals with you. I don’t care who you are or what you do. Just yesterday I reported a useless man who used a public toilet and did wash his hands. When he saw me he attempted to greet me. As we speak the dirty bugger is at Lusaka central. Kz
Thats very true, if Chilufya is not careful with his updates, the Chinese and the “Indians” from Pakistan will be put on the spot, and xenophobia might ensue!!
Stigmatising is wrong, but so is neglecting to quarantine yourself on return from a hotspot. All very well being nice, but some individuals – clearly aware by this point, of the need to self isolate on return, appear to be deliberately ignoring the directive as prescribed by the UN and now the Zambian Government. For this terrible disease to be beaten, everyone needs to work together.
Stigmatizing is wrong and so is irresponsible behavior. The author also seem to be blaming the government. People who are able to travel to France (for a holiday), Pakistan and China have the ability to know what risks they have put themselves, their families and others in danger. The government had to follow one of them from Pakistan all the way to Chingola and test this person and found him infected. Do you know how many people this person came across having travel from KKIA to Chingola? This should have been stopped at KKIA.
It’s about the new values that have invaded our once peaceful country. In our culture and traditions we are expected to be respectful to each other and this is shown by the traditional education we received. We greet and address each other respecting the elders with supplicating hands and a little now at the knees. Nowadays, with the increase of middle classes who travel and live abroad, we get different attitudes whereby they are better than others. Some sad Zambians are extremely braggadocious, boastful, arrogant and plain ignorant influencing the environment in politics and society. We shouldn’t beat on each other nor should we think we are above the law and do what we want. Some are fatalistic, preferring to have their death certificate to list the cause of their death as…
We shouldn’t beat on each other nor should we think we are above the law and do what we want. Some are fatalistic, preferring to have their death certificate to list the cause of their death as ‘died of covid-19,’ rather than ‘a failure to thrive due to poverty.’. LETS CHANGE THIS AND VALUE THE GIFT OF LIFE. Ours and others. Be thoughtful and take care 360% (degrees) around you.
Zambia has been this way for years. Social media just brought it to the surface. Leadership from all corners needs to arise. Only then. Can this be addressed and made civil. Zambian men have become worse that women, or already were.
Talking like this only encourages people to be reckless we understand a portion among the Zambians have enough to spare. The coin is two sided those coming out harsh about it only wish to safe guard their lives and those of others don’t furnish them as beasts. How would you even explain someone going to a named country where the effects of the virus is beyond control. Strike a mean in your criticism whoever this is. How do you even justify self quarantine by a named Chines in the name of fear of stigma. Awe chakanya dont justify wrongs because there is a greater wrong out there. You contribution here is mere rhetorical and a very dangerous piece of information for simple minds that can come across it. Find a way of condeming those going to highly marked countries with corona as well as a…
Some of us don’t have even a passport now imagine a careless person come from abroad and infect others then you expect them to laugh!
Can a black person survive in Europe to even infect one person of any pandemic?
For sure black are cursed! Reasoning is too small.
@Auria you are very true. in SA we started yesterday isolating our selves no movements soldiers and police are all over the streets . before it’s too late our families back home there please isolate yourselves
#Luke Besa, I doubt if the author is justifying why the Choncholi hid himself. I think the author has tried to pin point practical examples that can force people that travelled to hide, mind you, an healthy human body has a capacity to fight the virus, so that is why some people may prefer to hide their status thinking they will get better after all, than exposing themselves to the rath of the Zambian public, meanwhile they are spreading the virus.
In kitwe that chemist at Edinburgh hotel has hiked prices of sanitisers to unreasonable levels. The indian fellow is changing prices of his stocks every minute. Much as there are no price controls, some things are clear that its extortion. The chemist opposite the new building
Where can the wicked African leaders run to fro treatment?
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Great article. The same people who are condemning travellers are the same ones who were blindly talking about gassers without a single laboratory confirmed case hence adding to hysteria which saw over 50 innocent Zambians killed by instant mob injustice thugs.
Such a sad state of affairs but it shows that in this country we have a long way to develop, if that is the mindset most Zambians have then we will continue on our spiral of continous under development and disorder until something changes or we are recolonised to save us from our violent and primitive ways.
Ati IQ of 70 bane!