THE Zambian government has taken the matter in which South Africa has continued to demand for yellow fever certificates from travellers coming from Zambia to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for determination.
Zambian High Commissioner to South Africa Muyeba Chikonde confirmed the development in an interview in Cape Town that samples from various parts of Zambia had already been taken to the WHO and the Zambian government was now waiting for the results.
“The yellow fever issue is one of the major problems that our office here in South Africa has been trying to tackle. The problem is more to do with the WHO than South Africa and as an embassy, we have engaged the South African government. Bilateral discussions between Ministers of Health of the two countries have taken place.
“South Africa says they are not imposing the yellow fever certificate demand but are merely implementing a WHO demand. As a mission, we engaged with the Zambian Ministry of Health so that we engage WHO and together with the Ministry, they have carried out appropriate tests from samples collected from various parts of the country and we are now waiting for results to be presented to WHO,” Mr Chikonde said.
He said the yellow fever certificate demand had a negative impact on Zambia especially in the tourism industry where tourists from countries such as Japan opted to visit Zambia’s neighbouring countries for fear that they would be subjected to yellow fever vaccinations if they came to Zambia because they were being told that there was yellow fever in Zambia.
“Some countries do not know much about the yellow fever vaccine and to subject their nationals to the vaccination discourages them from coming to Zambia. What we should ask ourselves is that, is there yellow fever in Zambia? Between South Africa and Zimbabwe for example, there is no such demand for yellow fever certificates, so why for Zambia,” he asked.
On Zambians living in South Africa, the envoy categorised these into two, one being a group that was engaged in fruitful business or in formal employment while another was the group that thought South Africa was “heaven on earth.”
He said the second group usually found themselves overstaying in South Africa and become illegal immigrants and could not access social amenities such as medical care when they fell ill and eventually became destitute.
He said his office received a number of consul problems from such people who wanted assistance to go back home.
All this coz of Guy Scott’s big Mouth
I am a ZAmbian leaving in Durban for close to 15 Years now. I support the WHO stand. Most of the tu ma Zambians coming to RSA may have this yellow fever. It is important that they get vaccinated before they bring us this desease . If you do not want to be vaccinated, then stay in your Marapodi, Kalingalinga, Chipata compound ,Mutendere Wusakile Chilinje and Roma etc. Keep your yellow fever there. Prevention is better than cure! I do not want to become yellow…..Nakana!!
Yellowman. You are a mislead chap. Have you denounced your Zambian citizenship? Careful with what you say about your own country. South Africa is not heaven on earth and never in your life time thing as such. You are behaving like a biblical lost son. I pray that you will not find yourself eating with pigs before you decide to return home. You are insulting your own country men, women and children just because you are in another foreign land: Durban. May God forgive you for you know not what you are doing.
Yellowman, you have identity and most likely race issues. You insult the land where your papa and mama conceived you? You’re gonna be cursed man! Kama is a bitch. She gonna get you. Your descendents shall suffer.
Don’t show yo ignorance here politicking even wer its not necessary
even b 4 Dr Scot annoyed them.
This has been going on for sometime actually as far as 1999 when i traveled to SA by road but now even when buying a air ticket to SA travel agents demand for these certificates.
I have been away from Zed for 20 years without a visit, what’s all these yellow fever stuff becoming an issue. Is AIDS over now ???
its not fair..we don’t have yellow fever here..!
Please keep your yellow fever in Kamwala, Chimanimani, Kasompe, Woodlands, Chudleigh etc. Otherwise if you want to come here…..get Vaccinated. I have been leaving in Durban for 15years since I left Zambia. I have never had yellow fever since. Why do want me to contract it now…..? Awe nakana!
Kazembe wa Lunda shut up your big mouth if you have nothing to say. This problem started during MMD. PF is just trying to sort out this mess.
well spoken Guy
True
Nation mourning for Mandela
Country No. Days
South Africa 15
Malawi 3
Tanzania 3
Nigeria 3
Egypt 3
Tunisia 3
What is so difficult for our government to do the same to them????? Just do what the Nigerian Government did. Demand yellow fever certificates from all South Africans coming into Zambia as well, we’ve got a lot of them coming to Zambia its them that will make their government to stop this nonsense……
Uh……. South Africans DO require Yellow Fever Certificates to return home from Zambia. As explained in the article, this is a WHO thing. They don’t just look at people with Zambian passports, but at all nationalities!
Disaster. You do not return evil for evil. They will sort out this issue amicably do not panic. Some organisations just confuse the peace of other countries. Remember, these organisations are being run by multi millionaires and individuals who might have shares in companies that manufacture the Yellow Fever drugs. The World is not friendly to the poor. Remember the gap between the poor and the rich is always increasing.
Just come back home. Zambia is now heaven on earth. We are enjoying in Sata’s gvt. I was in diaspora but decided to come back home and registered a company. I am now established and doing very fine. It was tough to settle doing but eventually I am there. We have a responsible gvt in power unlike MMD. If you are a youth in south Africa, just come back and access youth funds available to youth who want to start productive projects. If u form a company, you are assured of getting a contract for either supplying, construction etc. Bravo PF for empowering Zambians. I will never go back to UK and I regret wasting my valuable years there.
congratulations we are all heading home after the new year celebrations the children will remain whilst as parents we come and settle.
Yes, Yes, Yes Former Diaspora. I am with you all the way. All the best.
I tell you what, I don’t see the problem!
Frankly speaking it’s just responsible to have yellow fever vaccine not because South Africa demands it. People who travel a lot around the world will attest to this. It is not for the benefit of South Africa but you as an individual so that you do not contract yellow fever. Why the fear? After all once vaccinated you can carry the certificate for 10 years. No wonder in Zambia people also government to build them toilets so they can defecate into.
Well, for one Sata has yellow fever! If you have looked at him at close range recently, he seems to be turning yellow in complexion. It could be the effects of jaribu but given his erratic behavior, my bet is on yellow fever.
There is no yellow fever in Zambia.
WE DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT YELLOW FEVER IS.
BA YELLOW MAN STUPIDITY IS LACKING A SENSE OF BELONGING.
ZAMBIA HAS DEVELOPED; OUR GDP IS ABOVE 7% ; SA HAS SLAGGED TO 2%. MOST OF STAFF YOU ADMIRED ABOUT SA ARE HERE IN ZED.
lets also impose yellow fever vaccines for all south Africans coming to Zambia..who likes south Africans anyway?? even guy Scott personally hates them. We cant continue living under there shadow,as if they r the only southern Africans!!! #donchikubeba#
I am just saying keep yellow fever to your selves. Do not bring it to Durban. Nakana.!
I personally do not know wht yellow fever is. I need t google
Walilwala kale yellow fever. Please keep it in Zambia. Do not bring it to Durban.
During the time SA was suffering, they never bothered about yellow fever in Zambia. Mandela sought refuge at one time in Zambia, Joshua Nkomo did, Bugabe did, Thabo Mbeki did and many more. Can someone explain to me, what is yellow fever? I have been to several hospitals and no case of yellow fever have i heard. Then lets do it like this, let every South African who come to Zambia come with yellow fever tablets or medicine. Why do they come to Zambia without the tablets if they know that yellow fever is so dangerous such that we need to undergo yellow fever vaccine for one to go to SA? Why not Malawi, Mozambique, Zim, Namibia, DRC, Angola, Tanzania, Botswana? What has Zambia done? Can they show us one case of yellow fever in SA that was diagnosed from a Zambian traveller or cizizen?
Note that even South Africans traveling to Zambia have to be vaccinated and require the yellow fever certificate. So its an issue between the two countries. The best to do for now is to have it in place than be disappointed when traveling. At OR Tambo airport in Joberg, they give you two option, firstly if you don’t have the yellow fever certificate they return you immediately, secondly they ask you to do it at the RVYP private clinic within the airport which normally very expensive.
South Africans largely do not live by the principles of Nelso Mandela. Their citizens look down on other countries. Black South Africans are generally lazy and uneducated and believe that because of Apartheid their government owes them favors.
Wainyelawifye. Wikesako ku Jorbug. Stay in your little shanties full of yellow fever and cholera.
yellowman, makandi yobe
BA YELLOWMAN, TELL US WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN DURBAN.
YOU DO NOT EVEN OWN ANY LAND THERE; UBUPINA MUMANO.
IFWE TULEKULA AMAYANDA,FARMS AND INDUSTRIES ON OUR LAND. MIND YOU VERY SOON AGE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU. TUKESA KULUNKUMYA UMUTENGO WA LAND. INTELLIGENT PIPO ARE COMING BACK TO OWN LAND AND BUILD ESTATES HERE.
What land are you talking about? Ukapwafye ukukula akayanda kobe mu chawama elyo ukafwe na Cholera.Ku Durban takwaba cholera na yellow fever.
BA YELOWMAN, WE HAVE BEEN TO DURBAN, NELSPRUIT, JOBERG, CAPETOWN BEFORE.
THERE ARE SHUCKLES EVEN THAT SIDE.
Zambia is a transit country for yellow fever carriers. Zambia itself is to blame for being a haven for refugees from infected countries and this makes Zambia a potential transmitter of yellow fever. Zambia should put in place measures at the border posts to vaccinate all Somalis, Tanzania, Kenya, Congolese who enter our country from yellow fever countries. I am now wondering how Kenya has handled its tourist industry since it is designated as a yellow fever country.
While I know that there is no yellow fever in zambia, I respect the South Africans right to exercise their foolishness by demanding certificates from people coming into their country. What I have a problem with is them demanding these certificates from people traveling to zambia.
Good move by zed on this.