The provincial administration in Muchinga has rescinded the decision it made two days ago to temporarily ban public buses from Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces to enter Nakonde district. Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone told ZANIS in Chinsali today that following the arrival of health experts in Nakonde, the provincial administration has temporarily allowed the flow of buses into Nakonde.
Mr. Sichone also disclosed that the provincial administration has received enough test kits to screen people for COVID -19 in Nakonde. He said the arrival of health experts and more test kits in Nakonde is what made the provincial administration to halt its earlier decision.
The minister said this is meant to give chance to the health experts to do their work and advise the government accordingly. Mr. Sichone said the travelling public will be informed in due course on the next course of action after the mass screening in the area.
“We have just temporarily allowed the flow of buses into Nakonde from Lusaka and the Copperbelt province and will inform the public on the next move after few days,” he said.
The Provincial Administration has since apologised to the travelling public on the inconvenience caused stressing that this is in the interest of promoting public health of the Zambian citizens. On Tuesday this week, Mr. Sichone directed that no passenger aboard buses coming from Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces will be allowed to enter Nakonde district. The temporal ban, which was to last for 14 days, was supposed to be effected today, Thursday April 30, 2020.
Mr. Sichone explained that the directive to halt the movement of all passengers on buses from the Copperbelt and Lusaka was in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province and allow massive screening for the virus in the border town. He added that the banning of buses from coming in and out of Nakonde district will protect the province from recording any case of coronavirus as health workers get on the ground to do massive screening.
The Minister said allowing public buses to come in and out of the province possess great risk not only to the people of Muchinga but the entire nation. The planned massive screening in the border town of Nakonde follows reports of a Chingola couple that travelled from Dar -es-salaam in Tanzania via Nakonde and one truck driver who tested positive to COVID -19.
Excellent pragmatic leadership and decision making. I love this. It also shows how much work we as a government are doing. Thank you
I believe this may be the wrong platform for this and I apologise in advance. However, I there maybe an individual out here interested.
I am selling my used range rover for 1,400,000 kwacha. The details are below:
LAND ROVER, RANGE ROVER SPORT
2018 (18) 2.0 P400e HSE Dynamic 5dr Auto
Only 30000 kilometres on the clock. All papers available including customs and interpol clearing into Zambia. Reason for sale is that I change my rovers every 2 years.
Contact me here, my email address is available via my profile. Please non negotiable. Kz
What an idyot of a minister…..
HH judgement that he can’t see any PF joining the incoming government is spot on.
This sign of lack of consultation before make decisions, we saw something similar with the “economic sector “(Church).
Knee-jerk provincial PF minister, don’t you consult each other before you come up directives. You are confusing us please. Incompetent PF ministers. Meanwhile PF must go!
I dont think the provincial Minister had authority to ban movement to and from Muchinga Province: that should be the preserve of the Head of State. Any way in PF Administration anything goes .Anyone can assume powers which they dont have. Mr Sichone may have given himself the powers of the presidency and somehow gets away with it.
I knew that this would not go well with active provinces like Lusaka & Copper-belt more especially that its Lusaka province which even dispatched Health experts to his province.Anyway Lets forgive him he was too excited after receiving covid19 donations which is common among thieves to do so out of unprecedented excitement.
He has been threatened, in PF you’re not allowed to think
We expected this reversal. In the PF Government there is no consultation, there is over reach and lack of critical thinking.
Why didn’t he first consult with stakeholders? Does the Provincial Minister even have the mandate to close a national border?
2021 please come fast. Chipantepante is too costly.
Thanks for the Ad KZ. But this is the wrong platform. Isn’t the very same range which when into a ditch when you traumatizes those poor little school kids with a clobbering if their driver?
Silly Minister. I can imagine he was safe in a warm bed last night while unsuspecting women and children we stuck on a bus in the middle of no where with little or no food. The tax payer in Zambia is a slave.
He has been threatened by Chilufya as more questions will be asked …this man is on the ground in Nakonde, the same with the border with DRC but Chilufya keeps hiding the data, only focusing on Lusaka…we need a credible task force headed by a civil servant, Lazy Lungu for once show leadership!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People will dying in rural areas all because Chilufya will be focusing on Lusaka so he can pocket money and seem to be working …what plateau was he talking about ?? Just lies
and the confused is not yet known. Is it the confuser or the confusee?? CONFUSION
Surely, that was way above his jurisdiction in the first place but in a dysfunctional state anything goes
“KZ” are you going to manage to be cheer leader here?
He was just told off for usurping the power of the President. He had to save face and reverse the ban very quickly.
An overzealous decision by Sichone – I was surprised with his myopia, and expected a very quick reversal. Now, this action has erased all the respect a number of people had for him. How could he be so dull to think that he had such powers.
Seriously you advertise cars during the time when others are worried about what they will eat in this collapsing economy. Even the reason for sale is that boasting. I change my cars bla bla bla. Sell and donate the cash to those whose businesses have closed and u will be a true Christian.