Metro

Zambian presidency accuses SP leader M’membe of plans to abolish constitution

Published

9 months ago

February 12, 2024

The Zambian presidency has has accused the leader of opposition Socialist Party (SP), Dr Fred M’membe, of planning to abolish the country’s constitution and rule by decree if elected president in 2026.

The allegations were made by State House Chief Communications Specialist, Clayson Hamasaka, who said M’membe and his party were propagating an idea of appointing Zambian traditional leaders into roles not provided for under the current constitution of the republic.

In a statement he issued in Lusaka on Monday, Hamasaka
said the constitution of the country was very clear in terms of the role and place of the traditional leaders.

He noted that traditional leaders in the country were important custodians of the national cultures, traditions and customs, hence the present administration’s investment in their welfare.

“It is for this reason that the United Party for National Development (UPND) government is investing heavily in the uplifting of their palaces including improving their conditions and benefits and those of their support staff,” Hamasaka stated.

He furtger said the UPND government would, therefore, not trivialise the important position the traditional leaders hold in the country by reducing them to partisan politics as M’membe was doing, all in the interest of scoring cheap and dangerous political points.

Hamasaka emphasized that Chiefs play a very important role in safeguarding the national cultures and traditions and ultimately preserving the national identity and heritage.

“The UPND has no intention of reducing this solemn responsibility bestowed upon them as is being carelessly suggested by the well established power hungry, divisive M’membe who once labeled an entire tribe as a Bantustan,” he stated.

“M’membe intends to replace the supreme law of our land with his whimsical and personal petty ideas so he can introduce unconstitutionalism to our country,” he claimed.

He described M’membe as a “danger to constitutionalism and the nation” and warned that Zambians should stay awake against this “professed and known divisive figure as his reputation of attempting to divide Zambians can be traced back to his failed newspaper days.”

Hamasaka added that M’membe was back as he did when he ran his newspaper to try and divide the nation, all in the name of his short sighted hunt for votes.

“The Zambian Constitution is very clear in terms of how the executive functions of the government are distributed.

“The Republican President, with his appointed Cabinet is mandated by the Constitution to execute all executive functions of the government, alongside the other two arms of government, these being Parliament and the Judiciary,” Hamasaka said.

He said the spurious idea M’membe was suggesting, “vis reducing the solemn role of Chiefs to menial government administrative work was not only disrespectful to them but also goes against the provisions of the constitution.”

Hamasaka therefore, warned Zambians to be alert that M’membe had by his statements sent signals that in the very unlikely event that he ever gets elected as president, he would rule by decree and not as provided for in the constitution.

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Metro

Morocco’s Mpox test gets African CDC endorsement

Published

2 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A major step forward in Africa’s response to the continuing epidemic was taken Thursday when the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) revealed that it had endorsed Morocco’s locally created mpox test.

A “major milestone” for African public health systems, the new real-time PCR test can identify mpox pathogen DNA in tissue, saliva, and blood samples, improving the continent’s capacity to address new health risks.

The Africa CDC announced the clearance on X (previously Twitter), highlighting the validity and effectiveness of Morocco’s mpox test.

The support is in line with the African Union’s overarching goal of enhancing public health self-sufficiency in order to anticipate and effectively address disease risks.

This development follows three months ago when the Africa CDC declared the mpox epidemic to be a public health emergency.

Previously known as monkeypox, mpox is a disease that infects animals and people by intimate personal contact. Symptoms include fever, muscular pains, and characteristic skin lesions.

Alongside the CDC’s work, Abbott Molecular Inc.’s Alinity m MPXV assay, the first mpox diagnostic test, was authorised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month.

This diagnostic tool provides an additional means of monitoring and managing the virus by identifying mpox from swab samples.

Approximately 1,100 people have died and over 50,000 instances of mpox have been recorded throughout Africa this year, with Central Africa experiencing the highest number of cases and fatalities.

Metro

Mpox immunisation scarcity slows Kinshasa’s epidemic fight

Published

3 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A lack of mpox vaccine doses has prevented the Democratic Republic of the Congo from starting a campaign in the capital, Kinshasa, the response commander has confirmed. However, the number of cases nationwide is still rising, particularly among youngsters.

In mid-August, a new strain of pox started to spread from the Congo to neighbouring countries, prompting the WHO to declare a global health emergency. However, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, donors have been hesitant to turn their pledges into cash and vaccines.

The head of operations for Congo’s mpox control program, Cris Kacita, stated on Tuesday that the country needed more than 162,000 doses of vaccine to start a vaccination campaign in the capital, but that 53,921 doses were still available for use in prisons, where inmates are at greater risk because of unsanitary conditions.

The capital, which is home to about 20 million people, has so far been less impacted than other parts of the nation. In six other provinces, vaccination campaigns are now underway.

Along with additional shipments from Germany and the African Union, France has committed to providing 100,000 doses.

He added the arrival of vaccines was also delayed by the administrative process, which includes sending an official request, manufacturing, creating documentation and gaining import authorisations.

“As long as we don’t have the necessary quantity, it’s going to be complicated to launch (vaccination) in the 14 health zones,” Kacita told Reuters, referring to areas of Kinshasa.

According to a health ministry study, from October 28 to November 2, 1,017 new suspected cases were registered nationwide in Congo, including 45 confirmed cases and 16 fatalities.

Since children are almost four times more likely than adults to die from the new strain of mpox, the charity Save the Children warned on Wednesday that targeted vaccines were necessary to halt the virus from spreading quickly among children.

“Children are especially vulnerable to mpox – they explore by touch and taste, don’t always understand health guidance, and have weaker immune systems than adults,” Katia Vieira de Moraes LaCasse from Save the Children said.

According to Africa CDC data, there have been over 42,000 suspected cases of Mpox in the continent, with 1,100 deaths reported so far this year.

The Mpox virus can spread from person to person via intimate contact and also from place to person through objects and surfaces that a person infected with Mpox has touched.