Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda has expressed concern with the manner in which children are roaming the streets despite measures put in place for people to stay at home so as to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Chanda said this was weakening the efforts which the Ministry of Health has put in place to ensure the spread of the pandemic was stopped.

Mr. Chanda, who is also Copperbelt Patriotic Front Chairperson, has since taken it upon himself to go round into townships checking on adherence levels concerning the prescribed measures.

He observed that there were a lot of children who are freely socializing and interacting in huge numbers.

He said such behavior is putting the lives of children at risk as they were more vulnerable to contracting the disease and possibly contribute in spreading it to their families if not sensitized.

During his visit to various townships, the Luanshya Mayor said the decision by the Government to close schools was to ensure that children stay home and not to be loitering.

“It has been an eye-opener. We have discovered that our children are so vulnerable as they are moving about in numbers playing. The idea by the government to close schools was to ensure that children are kept safe at home so as to avoid large gatherings in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” Mr. Chanda said.

Among the areas which Mr. Chanda visited are Roan sections 9 and 10, Kawama, sections 21, 25, and 27.

Mr. Chanda has since appealed to parents that use public transport to always leave their children at home and ensure that they wear face masks or use clean pieces of cloths as advised by the Ministry of Health.

“We got on business and I found that yes parents are putting on face masks, but the child they carry along does not have. So the best way is to leave the children at home. This is my honest appeal, we need to fight Covid-19 together,” he said.

He meanwhile noted that people were using disposable face masks for a couple of days when they were supposed to be changed after three to four hours.

Mr. Chanda has therefore called for more public sensitization on how to use the masks.

He further acknowledged the significant role that local tailors that make affordable face masks were playing.

“Am sure the Church, Members of Parliament and NGOs in our district are doing their job but are also invited to come on board as this was not a war for government alone but everyone if the COVID-19 was to be defeated,” Mr. Chanda said.

Luanshya district has so far recorded one case of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country and the patient is among the two in isolation at Masaiti isolation centre in Masaiti district.

By Nevers Mumba

Fellow Countrymen,

I trust that by now, most of us would have had time to listen in and perhaps take in the meaning and impact of the address by the Republican President.

Without much ado, I would like to put on record the following as our official response.

1. ECONOMIC RESCUE

In his speech, the President made it very clear that his basic strategy was to try and preserve life, while also putting in place an economic rescue package of sorts to save the business houses and the economy in general.

OUR RESPONSE

While we wish to commend the effort to save the selected areas of business, we wish to point out that the PF government has so far made key pronouncements including the K10 billion rescue package from the Bank of Zambia, and the other Economic Rescue interventions announced by honourable Bwalya Ngandu, Minister of Finance.

We notice that all these interventions are aimed at saving the “big businesses” with little or nothing to be felt by the poorest or smallest businesses and at the household level.

We know that some of these stimulus packages such as the K10 billion come with an inherent moratorium, which allows some period of time to pass before the banks have to pay back, to effectively cushion the negative impact of COVID-19.

However, WE DO NOT SEE how any of the benefits of these rescue packages are going to benefit the MAJORITY ZAMBIANS who include the self-employed, young people and the poor in the compounds.

Our suggestion is that the President must follow up on these interventions and make a pronouncement that will either CURTAIL or REDUCE the following across the board:

1. RENT
2. WATER
3. ELECTRICITY
4. FUEL

The logic behind this is that these four expenses is what gives most Zambians headaches in their quest to provide for their families. While we expect an outcry from landlords regarding this, it must always be made clear that EVERYONE IN THE ECONOMY has suffered the same fate and have had their income somewhat CUT or totally lost, Landlords CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONES GOING ABOUT WITH business as usual.
In fact, under the stimulus package offered to the banks, most banks are under obligation to also pass on the benefit of the soft loans to their Loan DEBTORS, among which most of the landlords fall.

We demand a reduction to at least 1/3rd of whatever everyone pays as at present.

STILL NO LOCKDOWN/ REOPENING OF PLACES OF WORSHIP

Our position on this matter has been and continues to be very consistent.: MR.PRESIDENT, PLEASE LOCK DOWN THE MOST AFFECTED CITIES LIKE LUSAKA.

I know that some sections of the society and especially the liberal church might disagree with this and cite various reasons why we must be celebrating as the church. Our position is that NOBODY KNOWS the direction, speed, and momentum that this deadly Corona Virus pandemic is going to take. It is, therefore, more expedient even for the body of believers (the church) to treat this as a plague. We should not risk our people’s lives.

In the Bible, God told the children of Israel to go on LOCKDOWN, and place blood on the door lintels and side posts in order to preserve the life of their first borns when the Death Angel would pass. So Even though God had promised them deliverance, he still required obedience and submission to his will at household level for them to survive. Every life in the homes that were on LOCKDOWN was preserved.

It is no different today. We call ourselves a Christian Nation and we have prayed and stopped COVID-19 from having the devastating EFFECTS on the lives of our people as we have no capacity to deal with it in large numbers. We believe that this is true, but we must claim the blood of Jesus on the door posts of our hearts, and stay IN DOORS on lock down, until the death angel passes. Only in this way shall Zambia be Saved from the extreme spread of the virus.

We insist that the government should follow through with the declaration that we are at war as the President said exactly 4 weeks ago. But we must follow through and do what a nation at war does. Spare no means, SHUT DOWN, PRESERVE LIVES, AT WHATEVER COST.
To ask the church to go back to normal services at the height of the Pandemic is as good as leading God’s people to the slaughter house. This is not time to backslide. To the contrary, it is time to step up by declaring a total lockdown.

Having said that, we also recognise that the President has the power to take the country in whatever direction he deems fit, that is within his authority. None the less, we also wish to place on record that we can provide leadership as opposition leaders by giving timely leadership advise in matters that affect the going concern status of the nation, matters such as this.

President Edgar Lungu has urged citizens to form cooperatives to ensure that they meet quality and safety demands if the directive for Chain Stores to procure Zambian produce is to be actualised.

President Lungu says this is the only way that Zambia shall collectively achieve the national strategic objective to: “Produce Local, Buy Local, and Use Local”.

He said in order to self-sustain the country’s economy now and in the long-term, Zambians must first produce local, buy local, and use local, and then export more.

President Lungu said with Courage, Patriotism, Collective Action, Perseverance and Hope, Zambians must face the days ahead, knowing too well that the country shall covid-19.

During his third address to the Nation on COVID-19 on 24th April 2020, the President directed the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to ensure that chain stores prioritise local agricultural products in their localities.

He said the current situation Zambia find itself in opens a window of opportunity for Zambian farmers to produce and sell their products to chain stores, that for a long time have denied them business and opted for foreign products.

“If a chain store is in Chipata, let them buy agriculture products from our farmers in Eastern province. Under the circumstances we are in, only products that cannot be sourced from locals should be imported”, he said.

He expressed hope that once this is actualised, even after COVID-19, farmers will continue trading with these chain stores.

Meanwhile, Economics Association of Zambia President Lubinda Habazoka says the directive to the Ministry of Commerce by President Edgar Lungu to ensure that local farmers are given preference in chain stores should excite all those that are in farming.

Dr Habazooka has advised small scale farmers to form groups where they can guarantee quality, quantity and timely delivery to chain stores.

He said this is a big plus to those that are in farming and know the hustle.

Dr Habazooka notes that it has been difficult to get local goods on shelves and this move will significantly reduce pressure on the Zambian Kwacha.

He also emphasized on the need for local businesses to consider opening chain stores which will procure most of the local products.

And on the President’s directive for the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission to consolidate all monies available in all empowerment funds and direct them towards helping SMES and in particular youth groups, women groups and those that have been hit the hardest, Dr Habazooka said this is that time when citizens will be sensitized about various funds available to them for businesses.

He said this move will create new businesses and add value.

“It’s up to businesses to ask their MPs for clarity on the availability of such monies. This is not money to misuse but should go into business ventures”, he said.

The Zambian Financial Sector Deepening (FSD Zambia) has produced guidelines for savings groups around the country to adopt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FSD Zambia says it recognises that COVID-19 pandemic poses significant health and economic risk to savings groups as businesses slow down, gatherings are restricted, and movements limited.

This is according to a statement released by FSD Zambia Head of Communications Eneyah Phiri.

Mr. Phiri said most savings groups conduct in-person meetings comprising of members coming from different environments and may have been exposed to COVID-19.

“There is a risk if members shake hands/or hug others who have been exposed to COVID-19 and touch surfaces that have been contaminated (including cash, cash box, locks, keys, money counting bowls, money bags, calculator or record books),” Mr Phiri said.

“Furthermore, savings group members may experience financial difficulties during this period due to loss of income. Restrictions on movements during this period might mean that some group members will not freely go the market to trade, (similarly, buyers will stay at home and not buy goods and services), companies may close and lay off workers and some members may stay at home sick or will be nursing sick family members,” he said.

“This has the potential to impact savings groups as group members may save less than usual, reduced capacity to pay back loans on time, loan fund will be low due to less savings, less or late loan repayments, increased demand for loans from members wishing to borrow to smoothen consumption.”

Mr Phiri said given the value and importance of savings groups to communities and the serious potential negative impacts on their operations, health, social and economic wellbeing of the over 800,000 savings groups members in Zambia owing to COVID-19, FSD Zambia published recommendations to guide savings groups’ functions and keep members safe.

Mr. Phiri said the guidelines will support the sustainability of savings groups in different communities during these difficult times.

The guidelines include:

• reducing meeting times (for example, instead of weekly, savings groups can meet once a month) and encourage only a few members to attend meetings to avoid overcrowding especially if meetings are held in a small room
• practice social distancing – sit at least one metre from each other. Remember not to shake hands or hug
• Members in high risk categories like the elderly, pregnant, sick or have pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, cancer and HIV, should appoint a relative or friend they trust to participate on their behalf. Members should also avoid coming to the meeting with children
• Enforce handwashing; provide a hand washing bucket or container with soap/sanitisers for members coming to the meeting. Ensure gloves are available for money counters and persons holding keys to the cashbox. If gloves are not available, use hand sanitisers before and after the meeting
• If all members have cell phones, consider having a digitised meeting where members send savings, loans and social fund through mobile money or other virtual means. This could be safe but requires that all members learn how to do this properly.

Mr Phiri said full guidelines are accessible at www.fsdzambia.org.

Meanwhile, FSD Zambia Chief Executive Officer, Betty Wilkinson, said, “Covid-19 is a nightmare for everyone but in particular low-income families. Savings groups are an effective method of providing savings, borrowing, and self-insurance for low-income families in Zambia. FSD Zambia cares deeply about our people. We thus assessed some ways to make sure that under the harsh economic circumstances of Covid, Savings groups can still help their members stay safe and manage their money even more carefully than usual.”

And, commenting on the release, FSD Zambia Head of Informal Finance, Chipili Lumpa Mwaba, said,”FSD Zambia recognises the important role that savings groups play in your financial lives and the potentially devastating effects that the COVID-19 may have on your savingds group operations. FSD Zambia cares about you, your families, your savings groups and we pray that you will remain healthy and safeguard your savings group during this challenging period. FSD Zambia is happy to share these savings group guidelines to help ensure that your savings groups continue operating and meeting your financial needs while prioritising your health and safety.”