HH Demands Accountability On Covid-19 Funds

UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema has demanded accountability in the use of funds which the government has received to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The opposition leader said he was shocked by the recent death of Ian Mutambo, a lab technician from Zambezi District Hospital, who died in a traffic accident while transporting samples of the virus on a public bus. HH said Covid-19 resources should be used prudently to benefit those who are protecting the nation from the pandemic. 

He said the government should be ashamed that a brave young man like Mr Mutambo should be allowed to die on public transport when the health ministry has the resources at its disposal to stop this from happening. 

Mr Hichilema said no government should put its frontline workers in harm’s way such as this and called for the PF to be held accountable for the death of Mr Mutambo.

Going forward, he added, Zambians should not tolerate such oversights and should expect all funds donated to the Covid-19 fight to be accounted for. 

HH’s comments come after disagreement within government itself over the responsibility for Mr Mutambo’s death.

At the time of the incident, a Facebook post from President Lungu called on the health ministry to investigate how such an unfortunate accident could have occurred on its watch. However, Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya has since contradicted the president, saying the transport of Covid-19 samples on public transport was perfectly safe.