FIFTH ADDRESS TO THE NATION ON COVID-19

by | May 22, 2020 | news

 

REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

 

BY HIS EXCELLENCY, DR EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU,

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

STATE HOUSE

LUSAKA

22ND MAY, 2020

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COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. IT IS NOW ALMOST FIVE MONTHS SINCE COVID-19 WAS

FIRST REPORTED IN THE WORLD, LAST DECEMBER. AT

THAT TIME THE DISEASE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A

PROBLEM THAT WOULD NOT SPREAD TO THE REST OF THE

WORLD, AND LEAST OF ALL ZAMBIA. HOWEVER, BY MID- JANUARY, 2020, SEVERAL ASIAN AND EUROPEAN

COUNTRIES, HAD CONFIRMED CASES OF THE DISEASE.

  1. ON 30TH JANUARY, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION

DECLARED CORONAVIRUS A GLOBAL EMERGENCY. TODATE

COVID-19 IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT HAS ALREADY

CLAIMED OVER THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE

THOUSAND LIVES, WITH OVER FIVE MILLION PEOPLE

INFECTED.

  1. IN ANTICIPATION OF THE SPREAD AND IN LINE WITH THE

GLOBAL RESPONSE, MY GOVERNMENT, ON 13TH MARCH,

ANNOUNCED MEASURES THAT INCLUDED 14-DAY SELF- QUARANTINE FOR TRAVELERS WHO CAME DIRECTLY OR

TRANSITED FROM COVID-19 INFECTED COUNTRIES.

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  1. TO PROTECT OUR POPULATION, ESPECIALLY YOUNG

PEOPLE, ON 17TH MARCH, MY GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED

THE CLOSURE OF ALL SCHOOLS, INCLUDING COLLEGES

AND UNIVERSITIES.

  1. ON 25TH MARCH, I MADE MY FIRST ADDRESS ON COVID-19

AND ANNOUNCED THE CLOSURE OF THE HARRY MWAANGA

NKUMBULA AIRPORT IN LIVINGSTONE, THE SIMON

MWANSA KAPWEPWE AIRPORT IN NDOLA, AND THE

MFUWE AIRPORT IN MFUWE.

  1. I ALLOWED THE KENNETH KAUNDA INTERNATIONAL

AIRPORT TO CONTINUE RUNNING BECAUSE OUR

NEIGHBOURS HAD ANNOUNCED LOCKDOWNS THAT COULD

HAVE CRIPPLED OUR ECONOMY HAD ALL MAJOR AIRPORTS

CLOSED. OUR BORDERS REMAINED OPEN TO ALLOW

CARGO TO COME THROUGH, BUT MY GOVERNMENT

STIFFENED BORDER CONTROLS WITH QUARANTINE

MEASURES.

  1. THESE INITIAL MEASURES THAT WE TOOK AT THE TIME

WERE AIMED AT STEMMING THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE

INTO OUR COUNTRY.

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  1. NOTWITHSTANDING THESE MEASURES ON 18TH MARCH,

ZAMBIA RECORDED THE FIRST TWO CASES OF

CORONAVIRUS. AS OF TODAY ZAMBIA HAS RECORDED

920 COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES AGAINST 20,011 PEOPLE

SCREENED AND TESTED. OF THE 920 POSITIVE CASES,

THE COUNTRY HAS RECORDED SEVEN DEATHS. A TOTAL

OF 336 HAVE RECOVERED FROM THE DISEASE.

  1. A BIG THANK YOU TO THE HEALTH FRONTLINE STAFF WHO

HAVE MEASURED UP TO THE CHALLENGE DESPITE

PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK. THE MEASURES TAKEN OF

MASS SCREENING, TESTING, ISOLATION, TREATING,

RESTRICTED MOVEMENTS AND CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS,

COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND SOME BUSINESSES HAVE

HELPED TO MANAGE THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS.

  1. WE ARE NOW ADVANCING INTO THE COLD SEASON AND

ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS

SUFFERING FROM COMMON COLDS AND COUGHS. THIS IS

LIKELY TO EXACERBATE BOTH THE VULNERABILITY AND

OCCURRENCE OF COVID-19 CASES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

I ADVISE YOU ALL TO KEEP WARM AND AVOID

UNNECESSARY MOVEMENTS AND CROWDING.

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COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED THE WORLD

ECONOMIES DIFFERENTLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE

DISEASE APPEARS TO BE NEW AND UNUSUAL IN

DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

  1. SOME NATIONS HAVE HAD TO COMPLETELY LOCK DOWN

ALL THEIR ACTIVITIES EXCEPT FOR EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL

SERVICES.

  1. AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, SOME OF THESE NATIONS ARE

FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES WHOSE SHUT DOWN HAS

SLOWED DOWN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY INCLUDING

INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

  1. ZAMBIA, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS NOT COMPLETELY

LOCKED DOWN. HOWEVER, THE MEASURES TAKEN TO

PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE COUPLED WITH

RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT OF GOODS, SERVICES AND

PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE ADVERSELY AFFECTED

OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES.

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  1. IN CONTINUING TO BATTLE COVID-19 AND LIVING WITH

IT, ON TUESDAY, 12TH MAY, 2020, I TRAVELLED TO THE

TOURIST TOWN OF LIVINGSTONE TO SEE FOR MYSELF THE

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON TOURISM IN ZAMBIA. THERE

COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A BETTER TOWN TO VISIT THAN

LIVINGSTONE TO UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF COVID- 19 ON TOURISM.

  1. LAST YEAR IN JULY WHEN I VISITED LIVINGSTONE

TOGETHER WITH MY COUNTERPART, THE PRESIDENT OF

THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE VICTORIA

FALLS WHOSE WATER HAD DRIED UP. THIS TIME AROUND,

I WAS EQUALLY DISAPPOINTED TO FIND NO TOURISTS

DUE TO COVID-19, DESPITE THE FALLS HAVING PLENTY OF

WATER.

  1. LAST YEAR, THERE WAS NO WATERFALLS FOR TOURISTS

TO VIEW; THIS TIME; THERE WERE NO TOURISTS TO

VIEW THE WATERFALLS.

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  1. I ALSO VISITED HOTELS IN LIVINGSTONE MOST OF WHICH

WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND THE STORIES

FROM PEOPLE MANAGING THESE FACILITIES WERE

DEPRESSING. MOST OF THE WORKERS HAVE SINCE BEEN

SENT HOME AND ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE SITUATION

IN THEIR HOMESTEADS. THIS SCENARIO HAS MADE ME

REALISE HOW MUCH WE HAVE LOST IN TOURISM REVENUE

AS WELL AS HOW DESPERATE OUR CITIZENS ARE DURING

THIS PERIOD.

  1. SIMILARLY, THE SITUATION FOR TRADERS IN

LIVINGSTONE TOWN IS DESPERATE, WITH STALLS AND

RESTAURANTS CLOSED AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS

DISTRICT LARGELY DESERTED. I STOPPED BY IN THE

TOWN CENTRE AND SAW A YOUNG MAN RUNNING AWAY

FROM ME BECAUSE HE THOUGHT MY OFFICERS WOULD

ARREST HIM FOR NOT WEARING A MASK. IRONICALLY, HE,

AND HIS FRIENDS WERE SELLING MERCHANDISE,

INCLUDING FACE MASKS. I CALLED HIM BACK, BOUGHT A

MASK FROM HIM, AND HELPED HIM TO WEAR IT. THAT

YOUNG MAN WAS WILLING TO SELL FACE MASKS AT THE

EXPENSE OF PROTECTING HIMSELF BY WEARING A FACE

MASK.

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  1. THIS REMINDED ME OF THE RISK THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE

WITH AS WE TRY TO CHOOSE BETWEEN LIFE AND

LIVELIHOOD.

  1. TRADERS IN LIVINGSTONE TOWN, SURPRISED TO SEE ME

AT THEIR STALLS AND IN DESERTED RESTAURANTS,

WARMLY RECEIVED ME. I HEARD THEIR DISTRESS CALLS,

WHICH REMINDED ME OF THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF

COVID-19 ON THE WELFARE OF OUR PEOPLE. HAVING

APPRECIATED THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION WE FIND

OURSELVES IN, I THOUGHT IT PRUDENT TO RE-OPEN THE

VICTORIA FALLS, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY ALLOW

LODGES AND HOTELS TO EQUALLY RE-OPEN IN ORDER TO

INCREASE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE TOURIST

CAPITAL AND ALLOW OUR PEOPLE TO EKE OUT A LIVING

FROM THE INDUSTRY THEY HAVE ALWAYS SURVIVED ON.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. I WISH TO REITERATE MY CALL TO PROPRIETORS OF

TOURIST SITES, LODGES AND HOTELS COUNTRY-WIDE TO

EQUALLY CONSIDER RE-OPENING, UNDER FAVOURABLE

RATES FOR OUR PEOPLE. I, FURTHER, ENCOURAGE LOCAL

PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN THESE AREAS TO VISIT THE

VARIOUS SITES. THIS WILL HELP IN ENHANCING REVENUE

GENERATION LOCALLY, THEREBY, IMPACTING POSITIVELY

ON THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE.

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  1. HOWEVER, LET ME REMIND THE PROPRIETORS AND THEIR

EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS ALL THOSE VISITING THESE

PLACES, TO OBSERVE THE HEALTH GUIDELINES OF HAND

WASHING AND SANITIZING, WEARING OF FACE MASKS

AND MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING AS A WAY OF

LIVING IN THE NEW NORMAL.

  1. I HAVE OBSERVED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS SINCE THE

REOPENING OF THE VICTORIA FALLS, THAT THE NUMBER

OF LOCAL TOURISTS VISITING THE FALLS HAS BEEN

IMPRESSIVE. LIFE IS SLOWLY COMING BACK TO NORMAL.

COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,

  1. TWO WEEKS AGO I EASED RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN

OUTLETS, INCLUDING RESTAURANTS, CASINOS AND

GYMNASIUMS. I AM PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THESE

BUSINESSES ARE ALSO SLOWLY RETURNING TO FULL

OPERATION AND ENSURING THEIR EMPLOYEES AND

CUSTOMERS ARE OBSERVING THE HEALTH GUIDELINES.

THIS IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN THESE COVID-19 TIMES. LET

ME HASTEN TO ASSURE YOU, OWNERS OF BARS AND

NIGHTCLUBS, WHICH I CLOSED IN MY FIRST COVID-19

ADDRESS, THAT I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU. YOUR

BUSINESSES ARE CRITICAL TO YOUR LIVELIHOODS AND

OUR SOCIO-ECONOMIC FABRIC.

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I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR OUTLETS WILL

BE OPENED ONCE CONSULTATIONS FINISH ABOUT HOW

YOU SHOULD OPERATE IN THIS COVID-19 PERIOD. I,

THEREFORE, DIRECT THE MINISTERS OF LOCAL

GOVERNMENT; HEALTH; AND COMMERCE TO QUICKEN

THESE CONSULTATIONS.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. LAST WEEK THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION STATED

THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT COVID-19 WOULD GO AWAY

AND THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT.

  1. IN THE WORDS OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION’S

HEALTH EMERGENCIES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DR

MICHAEL RYAN, ON WEDNESDAY, 13TH MAY, AND I QUOTE:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT IT ON THE TABLE: THIS

VIRUS MAY JUST BE ANOTHER ENDEMIC VIRUS IN

OUR COMMUNITIES; AND THIS VIRUS MAY NEVER

GO AWAY. END OF QUOTE.

DR RYAN ADDED, AND I QUOTE, I DON’T THINK ANYONE

CAN PREDICT WHEN OR IF THIS DISEASE WILL

DISAPPEAR. END OF QUOTE.

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COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. COVID-19 MAY BECOME ENDEMIC, AS THE WORLD HEALTH

ORGANISATION SAYS. THIS MEANS, IT IS A DISEASE THAT

MAY BE HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND WE WILL HAVE TO

LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT. FOR EXAMPLE, MALARIA IS

ENDEMIC IN MOST OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.

  1. THIS IS WHY I HAVE BEEN LOOSENING SOME

RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE WE CANNOT JUST STANDBY AND

LOOK WHILE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE UNFOLDS BEFORE

  1. WE NEED TO SURVIVE IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. DURING MY FIRST ADDRESS TO THE NATION, I SAID; “WE

ARE AT WAR”.

  1. YES, WE ARE STILL AT WAR WITH A VICIOUS ENEMY BUT

THIS TIME I AM SAYING WE SHALL FACE THE ENEMY HEAD

ON AND WE SHALL CONQUER. THE ENEMY WANTS TO

WIPE OUT OUR LIVES, AND OUR LIVELIHOODS BUT LET US

SAY, “NO”, AND FIGHT ON TO THE BITTER END. WE SHALL

BATTLE ON AND SAVE OUR LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS.

  1. LET US TAKE THE CASE OF NAKONDE. THIS IS ONE OF

ZAMBIA’S MAJOR ECONOMIC HUBS THAT UNFORTUNATELY

HAS RECORDED A LARGE NUMBER OF CASES OF COVID-19

INFECTIONS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

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  1. I AM AWARE THAT BUSINESS IN NAKONDE HAS GREATLY

BEEN HAMPERED BY THE RECENT RESTRICTIONS AS A

RESULT OF COVID-19. I DIRECT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

TO HANDLE THE NAKONDE SITUATION THE WAY THEY

HANDLED KAFUE DISTRICT WHERE BUSINESS WAS

ALLOWED TO FLOW AS THEY CONDUCTED SCREENING AND

TESTING. NAKONDE IS AN INCOME GENERATING BORDER

TOWN AND ITS REVENUE IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE

ECONOMY OF OUR COUNTRY AND, THEREFORE, ALL THE

WHEELS OF THE ECONOMY IN OUR BORDER TOWNS MUST

BE KEPT RUNNING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NEW NORMAL.

  1. TO AVOID OTHER BORDER TOWNS EXPERIENCING A FLARE

UP OF COVID-19 CASES, I DIRECT ALL PROVINCIAL

MINISTERS TO BE PROACTIVE WITH STRICT

SURVEILLANCE ON MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND CARGO,

ESPECIALLY ACROSS BORDERS. ALL PROVINCIAL

MINISTERS SHOULD ENSURE CITIZENS ADHERE TO

HEALTH GUIDELINES.

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COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. I AM CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO KEEP IN

QUARANTINE CITIZENS WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE BUT

HAVE NO SYMPTOMS. THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS COULD

JUST EXPOSE THESE PERSONS TO FURTHER INFECTION,

AND AS WELL, IT IS LEADING TO UNPRODUCTIVITY AND

WASTE OF SPACE FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL.

  1. I, THEREFORE, DIRECT THAT CITIZENS WHO HAVE TESTED

POSITIVE BUT ARE NOT SHOWING ANY SYMPTOMS, BE

ALLOWED TO GO IN SELF-ISOLATION AND STRICTLY

OBSERVE HEALTH GUIDELINES. HEALTH OFFICIALS MUST

CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE ON SUCH PERSONS AND I URGE

THEIR FAMILIES TO BE THEIR BROTHER’S AND SISTER’S

KEEPERS. ONLY PATIENTS SHOWING COVID-19

SYMPTOMS, AND THOSE COVID-19 POSITIVE WITH

UNDERLYING ILLNESSES, SUCH AS TUBERCULOSIS, AND

HIV/AIDS, MUST BE IN QUARANTINE.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. WHILE COVID-19 HAS AWAKENED THE WHOLE WORLD TO

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHCARE, LET US NOT FORGET

THAT THERE ARE OTHER DEADLY DISEASES THAT

CONTINUE TO TAKE AWAY LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE.

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  1. FOR INSTANCE, MALARIA, ANAEMIA, PNEUMONIA, HEART

DISEASES, TUBERCULOSIS, AND HIV/AIDS, STILL REMAIN

MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR THE COUNTRY. AS I HAVE

SAID BEFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THESE

CONTINUE TO RECEIVE ATTENTION EVEN UNDER THE

COVID-19 ENVIRONMENT.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. IN MY LAST ADDRESS I ANNOUNCED THE RE-OPENING OF

EXAMINATION CLASSES IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

SCHOOLS.

  1. I, THEREFORE, EXPECT THE MINISTERS OF GENERAL

EDUCATION, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND HEALTH TO

ADEQUATELY PREPARE FOR THE REOPENING OF

EXAMINATION CLASSES AND AT THE SAME TIME, ENSURE

THAT THE HEALTH GUIDELINES ARE STRICTLY FOLLOWED.

  1. AS FOR THE RE-OPENING OF COLLEGES AND

UNIVERSITIES, THIS AWAITS THE CONCLUSION OF THE

ONGOING STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS.

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COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. TO EVERY DARK CLOUD THERE IS A SILVER LINING. THE

COVID-19 ERA HAS TRANSFORMED OUR LIVES. FOR

EXAMPLE, MANY PEOPLE IN THE FORMAL SECTOR HAVE

DEVISED WAYS OF WORKING FROM THEIR HOMESTEADS.

A LOT OF US HAVE NOW BEEN FORCED TO EFFECTIVELY

USE ELECTRONIC MEANS OF COMMUNICATING.

  1. OUR CITIZENS ARE USING ELECTRONIC PLATFORMS TO

ACCESS SERVICES SUCH AS BANKING AND SHOPPING. OUR

EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS HAVE DEVISED

E-LEARNING PLATFORMS WHICH SOME OF OUR CHILDREN

ARE ACCESSING. WITH THIS SHIFT TOWARDS

UTILISATION OF ELECTRONIC PLATFORMS, WE NOW SEE A

REDUCTION IN TRAFFIC ON OUR ROADS. WE NOW SEE

THE OPTIMAL USE OF OUR TIME.

  1. THESE ARE BUT A FEW EXAMPLES THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY

TO BRING HOPE TO OUR PEOPLE EVEN IN THE MIDST OF

DESPAIR. THIS HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WHILE HELPING TO LIVE LIFE IN

THE NEW NORMAL. I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US, BOTH IN

PRIVATE AND THE PUBLIC SECTORS TO COME UP WITH

INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO MAKE OUR LIVES MORE

CONVENIENT.

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  1. I URGE DIGITAL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO MAKE THEIR

SERVICES MORE ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE AND

EFFICIENT.

  1. FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR, NON-ESSENTIAL WORKERS WILL

BE SLOWLY RE-ABSORBED IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE WITH

STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE LAID DOWN HEALTH

GUIDELINES. I DIRECT THE SECRETARY TO THE CABINET

TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE BEGINS TO

OPERATE AT OPTIMUM CAPACITY AND EFFECTIVELY IN

THE NEW NORMAL.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. ANOTHER KEY OUTCOME OF THE COVID-19 IS THE

UNDENIABLE FACT THAT RELYING HEAVILY ON IMPORTS

AND EXTERNAL SUPPORT HAS FAR REACHING

CONSEQUENCES WHEN THERE IS A DISRUPTION IN THE

WORLD ECONOMIC ORDER. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES,

COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RESILIENT ECONOMIES STAND A

BETTER CHANCE OF BRAVING THE STORM.

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  1. DURING THIS DIFFICULT PERIOD, I HAVE VISITED

ECONOMIC FACILITIES AND FIRMS, SUCH AS, TRADE

KINGS, THE FOOD RESERVE AGENCY, THE KARIBA DAM

AND THE CONSTRUCTION SITE AT BUFFALO PARK. I

DECIDED TO VISIT THESE FACILITIES BECAUSE THEY

REPRESENT SOME OF THE KEY SECTORS OF OUR

ECONOMY.

  1. I LOOKED AT THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR LOCAL

INDUSTRY UNDER THIS ENVIRONMENT WITH A VIEW TO

PROMOTING LOCAL PRODUCTION OF GOODS AND AVOID

IMPORTATION. I LOOKED AT FOOD STORAGE TO ASSESS

OUR LOCAL FOOD SECURITY. I LOOKED AT HOW OUR

INVESTMENT IN INCREASING POWER GENERATION

CAPACITY CAN HELP TO REDUCE LOAD SHEDDING AND

SUPPORT OUR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH. I ALSO LOOKED AT

HOW THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS ENHANCING OUR

JOB CREATION AGENDA.

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  1. THE NEW WORLD ORDER, POST COVID-19, WILL NO

LONGER BE BUSINESS AS USUAL. NATIONS THAT WE

HAVE LONG DEPENDED ON MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT

OUR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE MANNER

THEY DID BEFORE. WE, THEREFORE, NEED TO CREATE

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM WITHIN TO KEEP OUR

ECONOMY AFLOAT. THIS IS DOABLE AS WE HAVE

ADEQUATE NATURAL RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE THIS.

  1. WE NEED TO RE-ENGINEER THE MANUFACTURING

INDUSTRY TO PRODUCE LOCAL PRODUCTS. WE NEED TO

BE FOOD SECURE TO AVERT HUNGER. WE NEED

ELECTRICITY TO POWER OUR ECONOMY, AND WE NEED

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO CREATE JOBS.

  1. FROM OUR YOUNG DAYS IN SCHOOLS, WE LEARNT ABOUT

THE NEED FOR SELF-RELIANCE AND IMPORT

SUBSTITUTION. WE HAVE NEVER ACHIEVED THAT IDEAL.

NOW IS THE TIME TO REALISE THIS DREAM. I,

THEREFORE, CALL UPON EVERYONE, YOUNG AND OLD,

ALIKE TO BE FOCUSED IN THAT DIRECTION. LET US NOT

LOOK ELSEWHERE; LET US LOOK WITHIN. LET US

REMEMBER THAT DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR

DESPERATE MEASURES AND NECESSITY IS THE

MOTHER OF INVENTION.

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COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN,

  1. CONSIDERING THE NEED TO LOOK WITHIN FOR

SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ADDRESS OUR ECONOMIC

RECOVERY, I ANNOUNCED THE K10 BILLION LOAN

FACILITY AND THE COVID-19 FUND AS STIMULUS

PACKAGES. I ENCOURAGED THE INITIATION OF OTHER

STIMULUS PACKAGES TO HELP EXISTING BUSINESSES,

ESPECIALLY SMES, SO THAT THEY REMAIN STABLE DURING

THE PANDEMIC AND BEYOND.

  1. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THAT THE PROCESS OF

DISBURSEMENT OF LOANS TO BUSINESSES AND

INDIVIDUALS HAS STARTED AND CITIZENS CAN ACCESS

THE FACILITY THROUGH THEIR FINANCIAL SERVICE

PROVIDERS.

COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN,

  1. AS WE CAUTIOUSLY CONSIDER RESUMING ECONOMIC AND

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF OUR COUNTRY WHILE

TRANSITIONING INTO THE NEW NORMAL, I DIRECT ALL

GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES, TRADING

PLACES, MARKETS, BUS STOPS, AND WORK PLACES TO

ENSURE STRICT ADHERANCE TO HEALTH REGULATIONS,

GUIDELINES AND CERTIFICATION.

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  1. LET ME ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU, THE FRONTLINE

WORKERS FOR YOUR CONTINUED RESILIENCE AND

PATRIOTISM, THE MEDIA FOR YOUR SENSITISATION

CAMPAIGNS, THE ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS FOR

YOUR CONTINUED DONATIONS AND ALL CITIZENS FOR

OBSERVING THE HEALTH GUIDELINES. I PRAY THAT WE

SHALL ALL LEARN HOW TO LIVE WITH THIS DISEASE.

  1. I URGE YOU ALL NOT TO STIGMATISE THOSE INFECTED

WITH COVID-19 BECAUSE THIS DISEASE DOES NOT

CHOOSE. IT CAN INFECT ANYONE.

  1. WE HAVE FACED ADVERSITIES BEFORE AND WE HAVE

COME OUT UNITED AS A NATION. EVEN UNDER THE

COVID-19 ENVIRONMENT, I URGE YOU ALL TO REMAIN

UNITED, RESILIENT AND PATRIOTIC AT ALL TIMES.

  1. I WILL BE ADDRESSING THE NATION ON COVID-19 AS AND

WHEN NEED ARISES AND AS THE PANDEMIC EVOLVES. I

REQUEST THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO HOLD THEIR

BRIEFINGS ON MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS TO ALLOW AMPLE

TIME FOR DATA ANALYSIS.

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  1. ALLOW ME NOW TO END MY ADDRESS WITH A QUOTE

FROM THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29, VERSE 11

WHICH READS:

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE

LORD, PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU,

PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.

  1. IT SHALL BE WELL.

I THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS OUR NATION.