By Fred M’membe
The coronavirus outbreak has put a spotlight on economic inequalities in our country and a fragile social safety net that leaves many of our vulnerable fellow citizens to bear the economic and social brunt of this pandemic.
Our political leaders will need to consider these underlying inequalities in responding urgently to the mounting challenges of this pandemic.
While the coronavirus affects people regardless of wealth, the poor will be most affected due to longstanding vulnerabilities.
Although the coronavirus started with those who are able to travel abroad, as time goes on, the poor – as maids, cleaners, drivers, and so on and so forth to the well-to-do – are more likely to be exposed to the virus, have higher mortality rates, and suffer economically.
In times of economic crisis, these vulnerabilities will be more pronounced for the poor.
The measures taken to curb the spread of the virus – necessary as they are – are very crippling to the poor.
We need a response to the coronavirus that prevents people from having to choose between not having a meal and risking their and their families’ health.
The poor need help. They are hit first and hardest by the economic consequences of fighting this virus.
Low-income jobs in fields like retail, hospitality, childcare, and the gig economy cannot be performed remotely.
And research has shown that poverty is associated with higher rates of chronic health conditions such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, factors that increase vulnerability to the coronavirus. The poor, to a great extent and especially in urban areas, live in high density areas, where water and sanitation leave a lot to be desired. Measures such as social distancing are difficult to implement.
The poor have no savings to weather a lack of income, and even stocking up on food can represent an impossible financial hurdle. They live a hand-to-mouth life. They have to go out everyday to find something to put on the table.
Due to the lack of resources to prepare and protect against the coronavirus, the poor face a higher risk of contracting and subsequently spreading the virus.
Money or no money, the government has an obligation to protect people’s right to an adequate standard of living, which includes ensuring adequate food and nutrition, the highest attainable standard of health, and social security.
There’s need to provide a safety net for families and workers whose livelihoods are affected.
The government should consider a response that would support the poor and all low-income workers and people who have lost wages.
There’s need to support and protect the poor and all those who face devastating job and wage loss.
Advice on what PF can do kaili….kukamba nikwamene but offer your solution….
Let us just thank nations that have taken the route of lockdowns and border closures , it has tremendously helped in stabilizing the rate of infections even in our country due to less contacts due to limited cross border travels .
This is the man who helped the monster PF come in power and the same monster swallowed his handwriting. You helped the nation to be so divided like people are living in exile yet they are in their country. Your advice is vague and lacks substance though meaningful just because of your previous stance. By the way how far is covid-19 donations or your advice is enough!?
You are right, he is a very divisive individual.
Let’s live by faith not by sight. He wanted to takeover power through winter kabimba but he never saw it the other way, he live by sight and not what he believed in.
Sometimes I wonder why such people are entertained in life. This man was an id!ot when he thought he had governments on his finger tips.
Oh yes! He gave us the PF alright even when he knew they’d be like monkeys in government. He didn’t care for the country but choose what he could gain from the support he rendered. So now, here we are!
This is the man who avoided paying taxes for many years, which would have helped many poor people. And today this champagne socialist wants to make us believe he cares about the poor. Hh and this guy are the same, a bunch of rich hypocrites
He is right what he is saying but govt
Will say they have no money to pay
The poor hence they can’t lockdown.
They have money for Fire brigades and rest but no money for lockdown.
Hypocrite Mmembe… Start the first contribution Kaili…
Please advise HH
People we should learn to separate the person from the message. Love him and loathe him, Fred Mmembe is talking sense. Yes he made some poor alliances with Michael Sata and he will live with his conscience for that but there’s no denying the contribution to the democracy of this country. Fred was the only checks and balances we had throughout the regime of the MMD’s corruption reign. The likes of Kaizar Zulu could never light a candle to Fred Mmembe in terms of positive contribution to this country. Let’s get real and be honest with ourselves.
This PF corrupt regime has no regards for the poor except fattening their already fat bank accounts. And we need to heed Mmembe’s advice and put pressure on them to do the right thing.