Sat, 06 Jan 2018 11:43:53 +0000
By ANNIE ZULU
SPECIAL assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda has scolded Sean Tembo the Patriot for Economic Progress (PeP) leader for his incessant criticism of the government’s efforts to curb the cholera epidemic.
Mr Tembo has accused Government of being responsible for the cholera outbreak.
He has also criticised Government’s measures to curb the epidemic with his posters, saying street vending and blocked drainages had nothing to do with cholera.
But in his response, Mr Chanda described Mr Tembo’s criticism as misguided and ridiculous.
He said the cholera outbreak should not be politicised, as it was about life and death.
“Mr Tembo, the posters you are circulating in opposition to measures put in place to control cholera represents the worst kind of irresponsible behaviour one can even think of at a crucial time like this.”
“That is very crass reasoning for a person passing off as offering alternative views to those in power. Great progress in public information and awareness has been made so please stop your nonsense and withdraw your disinformation campaigns.
“Don’t politicise what is working. Join the multi-sectoral response that is turning the tide against the epidemic.” “We have picked water samples from various points in town and Soweto market area from the blocked drains and most tested positive to vibrio cholera, the bacteria that causes cholera! From where then, do you dispute that drains have nothing to do with the epidemic, how low can you sink in your “political drains” to score cheap points?”
“Please don’t fall further down the drains into the political sewers where you are headed!”
“As an opposition leader you need no medical training or any epidemiological expertise to know that litter, some of it loaded with faecal matter, has been picked up from various stalls in and around Soweto and when test were positive to vibrio cholera.”
“Moreover, all forms of paper such as plastics, opaque beer packs etc are ending up blocking the drains and the contaminated water is testing positive, so please don’t be simplistic in the face of a problem that’s already impacting GDP numbers as large amounts of money have moved to control measures just four days into the new 2018 budget;”
“No one feels that pain of disruption in commerce and trade than those in government because it hurts revenue collection and livelihoods and public services necessary for normal functioning of society, and therefore votes.”
“But, decisions to save lives cannot be sacrificed for the simplistic platform of appeasement. Those in Government have a huge burden of responsibility. Vending is a huge contributor to the filth that is causing cholera.
