National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has called on political players in the country to put aside their differences and direct their energies towards the fight against the Coronavirus.

The organisation’s Executive Director Ollen Mwalubunju stated that it is extremely important for the political leadership to work together regardless of the existing differences which arose from the February 3 Constitutional court ruling.

With the impending fresh elections, he acknowledged the tensions among the political players which he noted has left them not on talking terms.

He described the current situation as critical as the nation awaits the outcome of the presidential elections appeal case being heard by the Supreme court.

“They need to work together in this particular case to focus on how best as a nation we can contain and manage the COVID-19. This is the time before things go out of hand. We have the time because by the time things may go out of hand, it will be a catastrophe it will be a crisis, and at that time to remember that yes let us come together it will be too late for tears.

“So we humbly appeal to the state President as our leader to extend an invitation to the major political groups so that perhaps they can nominate representatives in various government structures that have been created in terms of fighting the COVID 19,” said Mwalubunju.

He indicated that the accusations and counter accusations between the President and his opponents are sending wrong signals to the followers who are part of the nation.

The Trust recommended that the Cabinet committee on Coronavirus and government should be as inclusive as possible to win the fight against the pandemic.

Mwalubunju proposed that a consideration should be made so that a representative of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) where all political parties are represented should nominate their representatives in the Committee.

He believes this will ensure a semblance of national unity and asked the Committee to come up with an action plan for it to be effectively implemented.

Among others, he said the cluster on public education and communication should include institutions like NICE Trust and other faith based organisations whose core business is on information dissemination as they have countrywide structures.

On misinformation which has created fears and rumour mongering, he suggested that the media unit within the Ministry of Health should be strengthened so that other actors can assist in monitoring where there is misinformation for clarity.

“So beyond the cabinet Committees updates, we would also like to see that media unit being much more proactive in terms of responsiveness

“If we’re not timely in clarifying and the information getting out is not as clear as possible, then we’ll also be contributing towards heightening this crisis”

“We have to join hands, utilisation of cooperative advantage of each actors and ensure that these frameworks should also be functional at a district level even at a council level because it’s where people are” he proposed.

He bemoaned the use of only one strategy in handling the pandemic but stressed on the need to modify other existing mechanisms which can provide information support for effective outreach.

While backing a lockdown, he indicated that with the existing injunction, government should seek views from various stakeholders on how best it can be implemented.

Mwalubunju called on the need to be mindful of vulnerable groups who live on hand to mouth for survival and livelihood.

“If not adequate consultations take place and a lockdown is implemented 100 percent; we’ll see people dying much more from hunger because they cannot have their livelihood being realized other than the spread of COVID-19

“So what we’re simply saying here is that dialogue at all levels should be done. Dialogue at the national level where government and the key political actors on how best we can go

“We can also learn on how the lockdowns have been managed in countries of similar social economic setup rather than borrowing wholesomely the lockdown taking place in Europe,” he advised.

The NICE boss expressed confidence that government could borrow a leaf from Tanzania’s example of how it has limited the movements so too with Zimbabwe before effecting a lockdown without proper mechanisms in place.

Source: Kulinji.com