120 police officers have been deployed to Kafue District among them traffic officers to ensure compliance during the period of lock down.
Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo says the District has been zoned into six and officers deployed to all the six zones to police the areas and ensure compliance by members of the public.
Mrs Katongo said some police officers have been deployed at the Toll Plaza on the Northern part of Kafue while other officers are at Kafue Road Bridge on the Southern Part of Kafue whose mandate is to escort convoys of motor vehicles through Kafue and ensure that no motor vehicle picks or drops off people within Kafue District.
She said all trading centers including markets in the District have been closed therefore restricting the movement of people.
Mrs Katongo said in a statement Police will remain on the ground until they are guided otherwise by relevant authorities.
And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has revealed that 100 health officers have been deployed to Kafue district to conduct surveillance screening, disinfecting public place and testing of people in targeted areas.
This follows the lockdown of that district to quell the virus following the three cases of COVID-19 which have been recorded in Kafue, one of which resulted in death.
President Lungu yesterday invoked the provision of the Public Health Act to declare a 24hour lockdown on the town to restrict movements of people in and out of Kafue so that health workers can conduct screening and testing for COVID-19.
Dr. Chilufya said besides health workers, government has also sent security officers to help out with enforcement of the law in case some people decide to abrogate it.
He has reiterated his call for the members of the public to stay home, observe social distancing and wash their hands frequently in order to stop the further spread of the disease.
And a renowned Zambian Actor, Monde Mutale, a superstar in a popular telenovela, Mphali, has come to the defence of the law enforcement officers on the beating of people who violate the health guidelines.
Mr. Mutale, who is popularly known as Nguzu, said the use of force is necessary at this point in order to save lives of the law breakers, their families and the public at large.
He has called on the public to save themselves from being beaten by avoiding drinking places and other public gatherings.
Mr. Mutale, who plays a role of a wealthy Zambian polygamist in Mphali, jokingly said all his wives have been self-quarantined to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a London based mining company Moxico Resources has donated sanitizers, gloves and face masks to the Ministry of Health to support the fight against the pandemic.
Company Director Davis Mwanamoyo handed over the donated items with a commitment to the fight against COVID-19.
Mr. Mwanamoyo stressed that there was need for consented effort in the fight adding that his company will also donate to the Copperbelt and Northwestern provinces where it intends to start their operations.
They want to react when it is too late. When we have been telling them to do more. They have blood on their hands with cooked figures. Very laughable
They shouldn’t use excessive force on people, sometimes they behave as if they are well paid when not. They come from the same communities which they terrorize.
This type of last minute mentality must stop, the lockdown was overdue one month back. You see almost every one is at risk of contacting this disease. Your Lungu is ndwiii in state house!
Lungu & Co should have locked down the country four weeks ago now they’re busy putting a bandage to a self inflicted wound.
I have been in meetings all day following developments in Kafue keenly. The latest report suggests that we have the town under control. This is what effective governments do. They respond quickly to crisis for the benefit of the people. We don’t waste our time criticising people like our friends in opposition and a minority of angry diasporans. This is time for us to come together and act. We thank our boys and girls in uniform and ask people to comply and make their lives easy. Kz
Madilu and friend you need to realise that you just don’t wake up and lockdown a town. Every government has rules and criteria that they need to meet before taking such a measure. The experts and specialists have advised and we are satisfied that criteria has been met so we are going ahead with those restrictions. It seems everyone is now a specialist . Please we were trusted to govern on your behalf and that is what we are doing. Kz
Excellent. Loving those truncheons. If I saw one I’d hide even after the pandemic is over! We hope our brothers and sisters will obey the law and save their lives.
Our Father in Heaven, send your Angels to protect us please we pray. Merciful Father, spare your children. Defeat this attacker from the dark one in Jesus name we ask it humbly. Blanket cover over Zambia, the people of Katie. We ask it in faith and believing that your power knows no bounds. Miracles are yours alone. Spare us oh Lord, we are your children. Remember your love for us and bring us under your protective wings.Amen.
Weild those truncheons Zambia Police. God’s Protection cover you. Your bravery and duty for your citizens be rewarded Heaven.
Enforcing compliance is fine, but they should also ensure that the people have access to basic needs for survival like food and water. Lockdown can become a strain for people who can’t afford to buy large stocks of food and can’t go out to earn money for their families. It is therefore the social responsibility of the government to see how these people can be supported. In countries like Rwanda and Ghana, there has been door-to-door food distribution for the vulnerable. Let’s not just see militancy as we deal with this crisis but also kindness and compassion.
Fictional example was not used here. How many provinces and districts
do we have in Zambia?
If the stock market was functionable you wouldn’t be wearing about deploying the officers.
120 police officers have been deployed to Kafue District among them traffic officers to ensure compliance during the period of lock down.”LT
Kz , you are liar. You are not part of meeting. Don’t mislead the people. You lockdown kafue after one death when Lusaka has more cases and two death. Bad approach and you fear to lockdown Lusaka. The man from Poland used kkia and he roamed the streets of Lusaka…. Kz you are cheap thinking cadre
In the picture, these police officers are so close together. No distancing.
Are they immune from corona?
Be serious please.
“Former Deputy Minister of Finance and academic Dr. Mbita Chitala…” may be right but as his introductory credentials have describe him, he is exercising his academic self let him be practical to solving the problem at hand! Too much corruption and empowerment of people who in the first place hunger for riches with positions of leadership has led Zambia into the current crisis! If the nation has nothing to show resulting from the HIPC relief what will salvage the honesty to do right? Shut down everything maybe start afresh!
Mistakes were made, you should have learned that by now. but u are still making mistakes. you don’t solve any problem by killing side effects. you solve problems by targeting the source, after ensuring that the source is secure then you move to the affected areas so that they don’t become sources too. before this virus was imported the best strategy zambia had was to close all borders even for 3 weeks for the purpose of acquiring adequate screening and protection materials. after that, that’s when the borders should have opened. we are humans we make mistakes that happened. what should have happened next. Lusaka received the cases and that point lsk became another source to all districts because it is the capital from which people from all districts travel to. you are seriously…
“President Lungu yesterday invoked the provision of the Public Health Act to declare a 24hour lockdown on the town to restrict movements of people in and out of Kafue so that health workers can conduct screening and testing for COVID-19.”
Thank you Mr President, much appreciated, this is my idea of leadership. I support you whole heartedly and I call on all well meaning Zambians to rally behind you and your government so that Zambia defeats this COVID-19 pandemic together. If this is also a resolute change of leadership style to begin to listen to experts and discard those who have led you astray for personal and selfish glory, you are guaranteed victory in 2021 even without cadres. Listen widely and to a variety of ideas and you will not and cannot go wrong on this and indeed the…
….. Listen widely and to a variety of ideas and you will not and cannot go wrong on this and indeed the economy. Thank you once again, together here we come COVID-19, to crush you.