UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma has distanced the party from the face masks produced in its colors and has warned members of the public to reject the masks.
Mr Kakoma says the UPND has not produced and will not distribute anything marked in its party colors towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
He said the party position, as directed by their Leader Hakainde Hichilema remains that it shall not engage in any form of politics on the issue of COVID-19 as it is a matter of serious national concern that transcends party politics.
Mr Kakoma has maintained that the party shall not produce branded personal protective equipment and has accused the PF of being behind the masks that has surfaced in Southern Province in UPND colors.
But PF Media Director Sunday Chanda has called on the UPND to reconsider its anti-masking campaign as a matter of urgency.
Mr Chanda said this is not a time for taking such a campaign, for so many reasons beyond the call to unity during this pandemic.
He noted that the World Health Organisation is predicting that Africa coronavirus cases could hit 10 million in six months, should the models be accurate.
Mr Chanda said this by itself must be a wakeup call for all stakeholders, including political parties to contribute positively to the fight against Coronavirus.
“Our Health sector is doing everything in their power and capacity to slow down the rates of infections in Zambia by encouraging all Citizens to adhere to the strict prescribed hygiene measures. To ensure the rates remain low, and most importantly, it is mandatory for everyone to wear masks in public”, he said.
Mr Chanda said any type of mask that helps protect the citizens is a life-saver under these circumstances adding that this means that all stakeholders, including political parties must do what is necessary to help, especially those in society who are unable to buy masks fetching between K15 and K25 per piece.
He expressed hope the UPND will be able to see the bigger picture the pandemic and consequently rescind its anti-masking campaign.
Mr Chanda has urged the UPND to make homemade masks irrespective of the colors or branding and avail them to ordinary members of the public for free.
He said such a donation from UPND, will help citizens using public transport every day, Marketeers who are selling every day, and many others in compounds who cannot afford to spend K25 daily on masks.
Mr Chanda said for the sake of these and many others,UPND should immediately reconsider its anti-masks campaign and instead act by complementing Government efforts to ensure that every citizen has access to a mask, on a daily basis, until this pandemic is over.
Iwe Kakoma, what the country now needs are masks. What ever is written on them is not important. We do not mind if UPND produces masks maked PF . You can even put Zambia on them or even HH or KALABA or Dora we do not mind. What we need are face masks. Save your voters from dying.
Why do you want to play politics all the time??? C’mon be reasonable for once
UPND and HH are just a bunch of dull breed. Zambians want masks whether they be labelled UPND or PF or Truth Hates or Tarinno Orange or HH or ELC bra bra. Be mature and save people. Always politicking…hey we are tired.
Sunday Monday Chanda says any face mask will help reduce spread coronavirus. Beware Zambians with this type of falsehood. Face masks must meet both scientific and medical standards to be effective in reducing spread of coronavirus, Zambia Bureau of Standards in conjuction with chief medical officer (if any), should be involved to ensure safety and effectiveness of locally made face masks. PF regime should understand its not ANY FACE MASK that will reduce the infection of coronavirus.
@MunaDekhane
Desperate times …Are you going to wait for Zambia bureau of standards to certitfy what to cover yourself and your child? Fwayeni fye nangu ka tenge , nangu fye akasalu akali clean. Kaveni umwana pakanwa na pa myona tata. Protect your family bwana…..Only you will do. Not kakoma, not Lungu and not HH. ONLY YOU BWANA!!!!
Musk are needed and I don’t care for what colour they are. Upnd are not fighting covid as effective as us. We humbly ask upnd to work with us. Te time yama politics iyi iyo. Amalwelwe aya yaliba serious. Covid is like airbone HIV. let us all musk up. BL
So where did PF get this mandatory mask wearing advice from? WHO and most of the civilised world have not mandated the use of masks. So where are they getting their advice from anyway? And those masks they are using made out of Chitenge material and not hospital grade that will not protect the people from the COVID-19. They will just get wet and dirty and people will be reusing them, increasing the risks even higher. This really is ridiculous!
“With great power comes great responsibility”!
Always making noise over irrelevant matters. That’s why these losers are called U5….
“Sunday Chanda has called on the UPND to reconsider its anti-masking campaign”.
This phrase “anti-masking campaign” is used three times in his appeal to UPND. Why?
UPND is NOT engaged in an ANTI-MASKING CAMPAIGN.
It was PF which started all that insensitive ‘branding’ of masks,
and now they point fingers WRONGLY at others.
This is neither fair nor correct!
IT IS OK. IN FACT PF HAS A LOT OF CHITENGE MATERIAL WHICH THEY AQUIRED USING TAX PAYERS MONEY. LET THEM PAY BACK SOME OF OUR TAXES BY CONVERTING SOME OF THIS CHITENGE INTO FACE MASKS. PERIOD. UPND CAN DO THE SAME IF THEY WANT. SAVE YOUR LIFE FIRTS BEFOE YOU THINNK OF POLITICAL INCLINATIONS. YOU MAY NEVER LIVE TO SEE 2021 GENERAL ELECTIONS DUE TO COVID-19.
IN FACT THE PF IS LIVING UP TO ITS MANIFESTO. IN CHAPTER 2 OF THE MANIFESTO, PARAGRAPH 10 OF THE PRE-AMBLE STATES: “…Primary health care shall be the pillar of our health system and will be central to preventing epidemics…” SO ENGANGING IN MASS DISTRIBUTION OF FACE MASKS IN THE COMMUNITY IS AN IMPORTANT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE INTERVENTION. SO PF PLEASE KEEP IT UP.
When I just saw Sunday chanda’s name I stopped reading and scrolled straight to comments.
the advise of the. people who are knowledgeable says those pf vitenges pieces will not save you..so much donations have been given let them buy recommended masks to protect people from catching the virus. the habit of cheating on anything and make a lot of political noise will not save people.
UPND is right it is unethical to take political advantage over this corona virus pandemic, we are in sad moment, people are dying, business are closed, people are not working and the Director of WHO has advised world leaders not to politicize the pandemic. I don’t know whether these PF mangwams understand, they pretend to be enlightened but yet ignore their shadows. Sunday or Monday Chanda kmows very well none is interested to put on PF branded G-strings on their faces. This is not time thy o celebrate but to show solidarity with those who affacetd and infected.
Whether made from a sack or plastic we don’t give a damn as long as themasks serve the purpose! ifi nafyo fi UPeND awee mwee!
People of God what ethics are we talking about? Please give the poor masks. If you want brand them with your names and your father’s names. Centre for Disease Control says any materials will do. Stop childish thinking of politics, whether I wear a PF or UPND branded mask I can still vote for FDD.
@Ivo if you read critically the reporters are the ones who have muddled up things. That sentence: “But PF Media Director Sunday Chanda has called on the UPND to reconsider its anti-masking campaign as a matter of urgency” is not logically following the previous sentence. In the previous sentence KaKoma is refuting thathis party cant brand face masks. The but suggests Chanda is countering this. However the sentence goes into anti-masking. Reporting is logic. not just throwing sentences at the reader.
Charles Kakoma, did you say UPND masks developed in Mazabuka? Those are your strongholds so it must be true no doubt. Do you thin you can monitor Mazabuka and other areas from your office in Lusaka?
And you Sunday clown chanda, please shut your beak, we know that you are campaigning, funded by presidential empowerment initiative, by the way why does the initiative also fund upnd branded face masks?