Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) President Felix Mutati says it is of great concern and saddening that the Patriotic Front (PF) is abusing the Covid-19 health guidelines as they have continued with their mobilization campaigns putting the lives of all Zambians at risk for political expediency.
Addressing a press briefing at the party secretariat this morning, Mutati said President Edgar Lungu as head of state must take responsibility to stop the manipulation of the Covid19 health guidelines for political advantage by the PF when all other political parties equally want to mobilize but observe the guidelines.
“There will be no politics if there will be no life, so let’s respect life first, politics later.
“The bark stops at you Mr President, give us the leadership, all of us want to campaign but we are saying we are going to respect the guidelines,” he said.
Mutati said the coronavirus is a serious pandemic, but, it is saddening that despite this status quo, has not been taken as serious in the democratic space as some political parties are manipulating the guidelines to their advantage.
Mutati also said recent happenings at the Ministry of Health as highlighted by the Auditor General’s report and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has shown that the Covid-19 pandemic is being used to fuel corruption, a rot which President Lungu must stop inline with his zero tolerance to corruption campaign.
“As if that wasn’t enough, we have also been concerned about the distribution of expired drugs and defective condoms all to meet the needs of the greedy. We are risking our people’s lives.
“Mr President, stop the rot from top to bottom. When Mwanawasa was faced with an issue of corruption, at the Ministry of Lands, he closed it and sent everybody home and that to me is the leadership we are looking for.
“My singular advice is practice what you preach. You have told us you have zero tolerance to corruption but let us see it in practice,” he added.