By NATION REPORTER
LUSAKA Province Minister Bowman Lusambo yesterday received a social media backlash after threatening to close shops of people he said were not complying with the fight against the Coronavirus and his move to eject commuters who had not masked up from buses.
In the morning yesterday, Mr. Lusambo threatened to close shops which were allegedly not complying with measures put in pace to control the disease.
“If I find that a shopping mall or a shop is attending to people without masks, whether it is Shoprite, Game Stores, or any (other) shop, we are going to close that shop immediately. People will say, which law are you going to use Bowman? I will use the law within myself,” Mr. Lusambo said.
He then toured some parts of the City in which he physically ejected commuters who were not masked up from buses as punishment for not respecting the directive by President Edgar Lungu for people to mask-up.
But when he later in the afternoon posted on his Facebook wall about what he has been doing to contain the spread of the disease, Mr. Lusambo received a backlash from some of his followers who said most of the things he was doing were illegal and that he was embarrassing the President.
Others questioned the logic behind pulling commuters who did not have masks out of buses and wondered which provisions of the law he was using to carry out such barbaric acts.
Here are some of the comments from his Facebook post:
Augustine: The only problem is you think every Zambian has money to even buy a mask. We are not the same in this country. It’s easy to make directives or whatever but are you aware that most people are not going for work now? No salary? No business? Busy going around beating people. Who knew that UNIP will be out some day? Talk of MMD? Power belongs to the people. If Sata (RIP) was around, we would not be suffering like this and some of you would not have been in those offices
Raymond Bwalya Sikanyika: Every action demands a reaction. Let’s also make sure masks are available. You’re on the ground to see that clearly, the average Zambian has no mask. So let’s go around and distribute those donations to people that need them.
Mwila Stephen Kim: Provide masks to everyone first and thereafter start conducting those check points in a professional and legalized manner. Otherwise, what you are doing is very illegal! Those are illegal check points you are conducting!
Mundia Nyambe: Mr Lusambo, can’t you give masks to those without masks than harassing them like I have seen in the video which has gone viral on social media? Where have you people taken the masks which were donated by well-wishers? Ifi fyena tefyo bwana minister.
Cousel Yusuf Kafunda: Provide free masks. U can’t just be taking out people from buses without knowing whether they are going home or somewhere. Suppose that was their last Ngwee. Be human as you execute your duties.
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