Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has said that the role of the Ministry of Health and that of the many health workers at the frontline is to fight Covid 19 on behalf of the Zambian citizens and that they will continue to do this to the best of their abilities, without being swayed by false reports being peddled by some sections of social media.

Reacting to social media allegations of that there is stealing of donated COVID-19 fight resources, the Mr said that from the time they wake up in the morning after very little sleep, all energies are focused solely on how to defeat the invisible enemy which is devastating the lives of many citizens around the globe, Zambia included.

Dr. Chilufya said they would therefore not be drawn into responding to fake news items as doing so would be glorifying false narratives.

“We take note of the negative comments on some social media platforms but do not respond because we won’t glorify such evil with answers,” he said. “For those that think the priority of the Ministry of Health is to steal, we guide that we are at war with Covid 19 and have no time for anything else,”

“We are a transparent government and remind you that our values remain Prudence and Fiduciary Integrity and that we will ensure that all get to the community,” he added.

He stated that various Members of Parliament are already collecting the donated materials for distribution in their constituencies.

He called on members of the public wishing to find out anything about the Covid donations to feel free to contact the Ministry of Health at any time stating that the Ministry has an open-door policy and a fully operational communications department which comes complete with a call center and available 24/7 to respond to queries about anything the general public wishes to know.

He thanked the business community and cooperating partners for their continued support towards the fight against Covid 19 and announced that the audit conducted on donated funds had shown that K1,054, 000 had been deposited into the Ministry of Health Emergency Fund, adding to the already existing 51 million which the Ministry of Finance had released to set up the contingency fund as directed by the President.

The Minister said that the funds are being used to procure PPE test kits and other items needed in the fight of COVID-19 and that the government has put in place internal and external audit systems that are working closely together to ensure that there is no pilferage.

The UPND has described as pathetic and myopic allegations by Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale that its members of Parliament in the Province boycotted the fight against coronavirus.

Leader of the opposition in the National assembly Jack Mwiimbu has challenged Mr Hamukale to produce any evidence that UPND members of parliament were accordingly informed that they were required to collect materials from the ministry of health.

Mr Mwiimbu said Mr Hamukale and his Permanent Secretary are playing cheap dirty politics that are inimical to the fight against corona virus.

He reminded Mr Hamukale that Zambia can only win the fight against COVID-19 if he desist from petty cheap politics.

Mr Mwiimbu reiterated that the UPND, through its President Hakainde Hichilema has made generous and tremendous contributions through the ministries of Health and Home Affairs to fight the corona virus.

He said the UPND Mps and other leaders have been apolitical in this fight against the pandemic.

Mr Mwiimbu said UPND MPs have mobilised resources to purchase various items to fight the pandemic and it must be noted that Zambians have been united to fight pandemic without any political considerations.

He said Mr Hamukale should realise that Zambians are not competitors in a musical concert where they sing the way he wants.

The Civil Society Constitution Agenda is appalled by the tribal remarks uttered by Christopher Yaluma, the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry under President Edgar Lungu’s PF regime.

CiSCA Chairperson Bishop John Mambo Minister Yaluma, like other Government and PF Party officials including Nkandu Luo, Chanda Nyela, Bizwell Mutale and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba among others, shamelessly propagated tribal hate against some regions of the country as a way of mobilizing political support in Malole, Northern Province of Zambia.

Bishop Mambo said this is unfortunate, regrettable and unacceptable for a country like ours whose peaceful existence depends on embracing unity in diversity.

He said it is regrettable that although the Republican President has repeatedly expressed his administration’s dislike for tribalism, the ugly head of tribalism continues to show up in public discourse from the rank and file of the PF.

“Ironically, all the PF government and party officials who have openly championed tribalism have not been publicly censured by the party or relieved of their duties by the Republican President. To date, Nkandu Luo and Christopher Yaluma continue to serve under President Lungu as full cabinet ministers”, he said.

“if this is not hypocrisy on the party of the President in as far as fighting tribalism is concerned, then what is it? As CiSCA, we hold the view that tribalism is encouraged and promoted as an official policy for political mobilization under this regime. We believe that it is for this reason that we now see even traditional leaders from the same region openly promoting tribalism in the name of speaking to their subjects. This is unacceptable”, Bishop Mambo added.

He said tribalism is not only archaic and uncivilized, it is also unconstitutional and a precursor to civil instability.

Bishop Mambo said tribalism is retrogressive and does not have a place in a democratic dispensation that Zambia is.

He said Tribalism is a form of discrimination and its manifestation as a means for political mobilization contravenes the national value and principle of non-discrimination as provided in Article 8(d) of the Zambian Constitution. Article 43(d) places the responsibility on every citizen to foster national unity and live in harmony with others while Articles 60 (2) (b)(c) requires that political parties have a national character and promote national unity.

Bishop Mambo has since called on all Zambians to see divisive politicians championing tribalism for who they are; a danger to themselves and society as they are desperate and morally bankrupt.

He said as Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Yaluma should have been engaging small enterprises in rural areas, giving them hope and solutions amidst the ravaging effects of Covid 19 on the income security of lower income groups.

Bishop Mambo added that Zambians across the political and ethnic divide must stand up, reject and call out politicians who thrive on tribal propaganda as a means of canvasing votes.

He said Zambians must demand that the Republican President must raise to the occasion and show resolute leadership by reliving any minister who engages in tribal talk.

Bishop Mambo said anything short of this, Zambians must ignore President Lungu’s rhetoric on tribalism and treat is as cheap talk. We can’t have a leader who condemns tribalism in his speeches and fails to take action when it shows its ugly head in public.

Police in Eastern Province have arrested a 39-year-old man for impersonating Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo and for obtaining money by false pretenses.

Eastern Province Police Commissioner Lackson Sakala said Patrick Banda, who was arrested in Katete district, allegedly swindled five transporters in Chipata district of more than K20, 000 through impersonations of Mr. Lusambo.

Mr. Sakala said Banda, a Petauke resident, is currently in police custody and is scheduled to appear in court soon.

He said before Banda was arrested, a report of his criminal activities was given to police and investigations ensued until he arrested in Katete district.

“Patrick Banda did actually still K26, 600 from five transporters and impersonated the Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo. We had been tracking his phone because of the money transactions that had been going on under impersonation of Mr. Lusambo,” he said.

And Mr. Lusambo commended police officers form Eastern Province for arresting Banda.

“On a number of occasions , this individual had been calling my friends, some Cabinet colleagues and some business people with desperate pleas for financial assistance to apparently sort out some pressing financial issue or the other,” Mr. Lusambo wrote on his Facebook page.

He also sternly warned any other criminals that could be involved in the same scam that they will soon meet their fate just like Patrick Banda.

“If any of you receive a phone call purporting to be coming from me and asking for financial assistance, please disregard it and immediately call ZICTA on 7070 to report such scams,” he said.

He added that, “for those contemplating joining such fraud rings, know that the law will soon catch up with you and you shall be prosecuted for the offence of impersonation contrary to section 102(b) of the penal code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia and for the office of obtaining money by false presence contrary to section 309 of the penal, code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.”

Chingola District Commissioner Agnes Tonga has today flagged off the COVID-19 sensitization programme aimed at raising awareness on the deadly coronavirus.

Speaking after flagging off the programme at her office, Ms. Tonga has thanked the Zambia Red Cross Society for partnering with the Ministry of Health and the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS), to help spread the message.

Ms. Tonga said the sensitization programme has come at the right time when the district is one of the hotspots in the country.

She expressed optimism that after this sensitization programme, more people will start practicing preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19.

She has since urged the sensitisation team to ensure that the message is rightly delivered to the people so that they are well informed.

And Zambia Red Cross Society Chingola branch president, Berrington Musonda said the society has a mandate to save lives and reach out to everyone.

Mr. Musonda assured the DC that COVID-19 messages will be disseminated correctly so that more people are aware of the disease.

He said the collaboration with Ministry of Health and ZANIS will in some way help overcome the spread of the pandemic.

And some Chingola residents have thanked the Zambia Red Cross for partnering with the Ministry of Health and ZANIS to sensitize the public.

Malole Member of Parliament, Christopher Yaluma, has called for unity of purpose when addressing challenges such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and floods in Northern province.

Mr. Yaluma, who is also Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said Zambians need to embrace love and unity in overcoming the challenges which the country is facing currently.

He said this when he held a sensitisation meeting on the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19 pandemic, in Mabula ward of Mungwi district.

And Mr. Yaluma has urged people in his constituency to seriously follow the Covid-19 preventive measures which Ministry of Health has put in place.

The lawmaker also donated some hygiene items to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

He said people should continue protecting themselves by observing the preventive measures such as avoiding none-essential travels, public gatherings and handshakes.

And speaking when he received the donation on behalf of the people of Mabula ward, village headman Mwila Mabula thanked the Member of Parliament for the help.

Headman Mabula has however appealed to Mr. Yaluma to extend the assistance to people in remote areas where access to radio and television is a challenge.

He noted that people in remote areas have little or no information on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic, which first broke out in China, has spread throughout the world killing over 200,000 people and infecting nearly three million others.

The respiratory disease has also affected Zambia with Lusaka being the epicentre and Kafue and Chingola districts as other hotspots. So far, three lives have been lost to the disease.

Northern Province has not been affected by the virus since the first case was recorded in Zambia on March 18, 2020.

However, the province, including parts of Mungwi district, have been affected by floods resulting from excessive torrential rains which have washed away homes and crops, leaving people in destitution.

Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone has directed that no passenger buses coming from Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces will be allowed to enter Nakonde district.

The temporal ban, which will last for 14 days, is with effect from tomorrow Thursday, April 30, 2020. Mr. Sichone said the directive to halt the movement of all buses from the Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces is aimed at prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province and allow massive screening for the virus in the border town.He added that banning buses from entering and leaving Nakonde district will protect the province from recording any case of coronavirus as health workers get on the ground to conduct massive screening.

The Minister said allowing public buses to get into and out of the province poses great risk not only to the people of Muchinga but the entire nation.Mr. Sichone said this when he received donations of hygiene materials and food items from China Railway Seventh Group and Tanzania Zambia Mafuta ( TAZAMA) pipeline limited in Chinsali.The donation will go towards the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and flood victims in the province.He said the fight against COVID-19 requires concerted efforts from all well-wishers as government alone cannot manage to stop the spread of the deadly disease.

On Monday this week, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya announced that a team of health workers has been dispatched to Nakonde district in Muchinga Province to carry out massive screening for COVID-19. The planned massive screening in the border town of Nakonde follows reports that a Chingola couple that travelled from Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania through Nakonde, tested positive to COVID -19. A total of 22 people, among them bankers, who came into contact with the Chingola couple and workers at a named lodge where the two stayed for about four days, have since been put under quarantine for 14 days.The quarantine has been extended to a total of 107 families coming from the initial 22 people who came into contact with the Chingola couple while in Nakonde.

Meanwhile, China Railway Seventh Group Site Manager Tang Haisheng said the firm stands with the Zambian people in fighting the COVID -19 pandemic.Mr. Tang said this is because the universal virus knows no race or national borders hence the need to work together to fight it.He said the donation reflects the corporate social responsibility of his company and further demonstrates the cooperation between China and Zambia in fighting the pandemic.

Mr. Tang added that the donation also shows that the firm does not only build good roads and create jobs through various projects but it is also committed to fighting the negative impact on human beings in Zambia.

The road contractor donated 500 pieces of face masks, 100 germ guards, 22 sprayers, 1,000 tablets of hand washing soap, 200 bags of mealie meal weighing 25 kilogrammes each, 100 containers of five litres cooking oil and 100 packets of one kg brown sugar.

Meanwhile, Tanzania Zambia Mafuta (TAZAMA) pipeline has also donated assorted items towards the fight of COVID-19 worth over K 40,000 to Chinsali health office.TAZAMA pipeline Senior Public Relations Officer Kenneth Kalunga made the K1 million worth donation on behalf of the company.

Mr. Kalunga said TAZAMA has donated infrared thermometers, face masks, hand washing buckets among others to selected districts along the pipeline between Ndola in the Copperbelt province and Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania. He said the pipeline, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Muchinga province, has also set up one inland screening point as a measure of protecting the region against COVID-19 pandemic.