END SUPER-SPREADERS

POLITICAL campaigns have heightened with various political leaders working hard to mop up every grain of support among the voters across the country. With 14 days to go, political leaders are turning out in order to remain on course and also to wipe out any residue that could have been smudged on their persona and their respective political parties. In doing so, some political figures have out rightly transgressed guidelines as outlined by the Ministry of Health and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in the manner they are interacting with voters and the masses alike. Evidently, the political leaders are well aware of the provisions that were spelt out to them and subsequently circulated to all political leaders and the citizenry. Notably, the ECZ clearly announced the suspension of political rallies with an emphasis that campaigns would have to be undertaken using other platforms. This was done within the ECZ’s jurisdiction as an independent body mandated to preside over all electoral matters in the country. Although some critics condemned the action, it was done in good faith, as the COVID-19 pandemic has been ravaging Zambia and other parts of the world in the third wave. Given the conduct of political parties and their lack of adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, the ECZ and the Zambia police Service must move in and safeguard the lives of the people.  They have a moral responsibility to safeguard the lives of the citizens. Political parties have other avenues through which to undertake campaigns rather than holding rallies which have been categorized as mass super-spreaders of the COVID-19 pandemic. Political parties and other stakeholders have alternative methods of campaigning such as the use of mobile public address system, distribution of flyers and other political party materials and the use of social media platforms.  The Patriotic Front has taken an initiative of holding virtual rallies which are beamed live on ZNBC, Diamond TV, CAMNET TV, and radio stations. In fact, these alternative modes of reaching out to the voters are safer and less costly. Therefore, all political parties must desist from holding mass rallies and engage the voters and citizens at large through other means. We are in the third wave of COVID-19, which has had devastating effects on the Zambian populace, hence the imperative need to be extra cautious. So many people have died while others are critically ill and on oxygen therapy. There is absolutely no need for political players to start antagonizing police officers over a straightforward matter; no physical rallies please!