Africa-Press – Zambia. The Coalition calling itself the Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition (DMDC) has castigated the opposition UPND for refusing to rescind its decision to resume campaigns amidst the national mourning and the peak of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
DMDC Spokesperson Mr. Andrew Ntewewe charged during a briefing in Lusaka today that so many citizens would not have contracted the virus and consequently succumbed to death had it not been for the UPND roadshows.
Mr Ntewewe, who is also the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) president wondered how many more people had to die before the opposition party could take the pandemic seriously. He further wondered if the people who have died so far are not enough signal to tell UPND not to downplay the gravity of the deadly pandemic.
“The coalition also notes that despite various appeals from stakeholders, UPND has with impunity refused to rescind its decision to resume campaigns amidst the national mourning and the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. This is happening at the backdrop of escalating numbers of citizens succumbing to the deadly virus,” he said.
“How many more people have to die before UPND can take this pandemic seriously? Are the people who have died so far not enough signal to tell UPND not to downplay the gravity of this pandemic? Citizens will recall that when this pandemic first broke out the UPND denied its existence they claimed that it was a ploy and hoax by the government to get donor support.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ntewewe reiterated that UPND’S unapologetic position to resume campaigns in the face of national calamity has confirmed themselves to be covid-19 super spreaders.
“Had it not been for the UPND roadshows, so many of our citizens would not have contracted the virus and consequently succumbed to death. We are equally perturbed to note that the UPND roadshows were conducted in perceived PF strongholds,” he said.
“Is it, therefore, strange that the epicenter of this pandemic is Lusaka and the Copperbelt? Can we be faulted if we suggested that Lusaka and Copperbelt were maliciously targeted with the view to reduce the PF vote through this deadly pandemic?”
