The Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has faulted government for the gazzetted new measures for the Prevention, Containment and Management of Coronavirus, which causes the deadly Covid-19 disease.
Among the measures, government has ordered mandatory wearing of face masks in public and banned public gatherings of groups of than 10 people.
But in a statement released Tuesday night, Nankhumwa argues that as opposition they don’t agree with the measures, adding that they expected government to come up with short and medium term policy interventions to cushion people’s suffering before framing and gazzetting what he called the harsh and unrealistic Covid-19 measures.
He says government should have come up with mitigating measures such as freeing prisoners with minor charges to decongest prisons, institute zero charges on mobile money transfers, set up portable water sinks in public places to encourage hand washing in all cities and towns, cut President and Cabinet ministers’ wages among others.
But at a press briefing announcing the measures on Sunday, Information Minister Gospel Kazako said numbers of Coronavirus cases “are rising at an alarming rate”.
“The problem is big and we must all stand up. Covid-19 is here and killing people,” he said.