‘NO SIGHT OF NORTH KOREA'S LEADER’ - POMPEO

FILE: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 7, 2018.

By David Brunnstrom, Washington USA

The United States has caught no sight of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is watching reports about his health, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, adding there was a real risk of famine in the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.

North Korean media has not reported on Kim’s whereabouts since he presided over a meeting on April 11, provoking speculation about his health and raising concerns about instability in the nuclear-armed country that could affect other North Asian countries and the United States.

“We haven’t seen him. We don’t have any information to report today, we’re watching it closely,” Pompeo told Fox News after being asked about conflicting reports about Kim’s health.

Pompeo said the United States was also monitoring the situation more broadly in North Korea, which borders China, given the risk presented by the coronavirus.

“There is a real risk that there will be a famine, a food shortage, inside of North Korea too,” he added. “We’re watching each of those things closely, as they have a real impact on our mission set, which to ultimately denuclearize North Korea.”

Officials in South Korea and the United States have said Kim may be staying at North Korea’s coastal resort of Wonsan to avoid exposure to the new coronavirus, and have expressed skepticism about media reports that he had some kind of serious illness.

They caution, however, that Kim’s health and location are closely guarded secrets and reliable information is difficult to obtain from secretive North Korea.

What is described by Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North as a special train possibly belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seen in a satellite image from Planet Labs Inc with data notes from 38 North and taken over Wonsan, North Korea April 29, 2020

On Saturday, a U.S.-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said satellite images showed what was believed to be Kim’s personal train parked at a station reserved for his use in Wonsan on April 21 and 23.

New images taken on Wednesday showed a train in the same position, but it was unclear whether it had been there since last week, 38 North said.

On Tuesday, another North Korea-monitoring website, NK PRO, reported that commercial satellite imagery showed boats often used by Kim had moved in patterns suggesting he or his entourage may be in the Wonsan area.

38 North said that in its new images, the train did not appear to be prepared for departure as the engine could no longer be seen parked alongside its south end.

It said the train’s presence did not prove Kim’s presence, but the station was reserved for the exclusive use of the Kim family, “lending weight to the multiple reports that Kim has been staying in the Wonsan area.”

Pompeo told a later State Department news conference the United States would continue to focus on North Korean denuclearization, “no matter what transpires there.”

President Donald Trump met Kim three times in 2018 and 2019 in an attempt to persuade him to give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States. While talks have stalled, Trump has continued to hail Kim as a friend.

Pompeo did not elaborate on the risk of famine in North Korea, but a North Korean economic delegation was due in Beijing this week to discuss food supplies and trade issues as the coronavirus outbreak has severely disrupted the country’s food supply, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

Impoverished and isolated North Korea is prone to food shortages. As many as 1.1 million people died during the famines of the 1990s, according to South Korean estimates.

SENEGAL LAUNCHES FOOD AID PROGRAM ONE MILLION FAMILIES AFFECTED BY COVID-19

Dakar, SENEGAL

The Senegalese government on Tuesday launched a food aid distribution operation to help 1 million vulnerable households affected by COVID-19.

City workers prepare food aid kits in a distribution center in Pikine, Senegal, on April 28, 2020. The Senegalese government on Tuesday launched a food aid distribution operation to help 1 million vulnerable households affected by COVID-19. So far, Senegal has reported 823 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 9 deaths and 296 cured cases, since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.

“We have just launched officially the delivery of food kits. This operation marks the start of operations across the country,” said Minister of Community Development, Social and Territorial Equity Mansour Faye at a launch ceremony in the presence of several beneficiaries as well as local administrative authorities and elected officials in Pikine, a city east to Dakar.

The minister said the distribution of food kits across Senegal is a large-scale operation that involves the whole population, civil society, and politicians.

He explained that this food aid would be distributed to 1 million households, representing around 8 to 10 million Senegalese. Each beneficiary household will obtain a total of 100 kilograms of rice, 10 kilograms of sugar, 10 liters of oil and 18 pieces of soap, which is worth about 66,000 Francs CFA (approximately 109 U.S. dollars).

In Guinaw Rail Sud, a town in Pikine, where the food distribution debuted on Tuesday, some 3,207 households have picked up this food aid from the Senegalese government.

Senegalese president Macky Sall announced in March the creation of a Response and Solidarity Fund to deal with the impact of COVID-19, which would be endowed with 1,000 billion FCFA (approximately 1.6 billion U.S. dollars), funded by the state and donors.

According to the Senegalese head of state, some 50 billion FCFA will be devoted to the purchase of food for emergency food aid. About 900 trucks are mobilized to transport 38,755 tonnes of rice across the country.

So far, Senegal has reported 823 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 9 deaths and 296 cured cases, since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country on March 2.

Senegal has suspended since March 20 all of its international flights, while the state of emergency and the dusk-to-dawn curfew have both been extended to May 4. - Africa

KENYA PUTS TWO REFUGEE CAMPS UNDER PARTIAL LOCKDOWN DUE TO COVID-19

Nairobi, KENYA

The government of Kenya yesterday placed Dadaab (pictured) and Kakuma Refugee camps under partial lockdown as the government continues to implement measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i made the announcement following a meeting of the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee (NDICC) to discuss the progress of the Government’s interventions to combat COVID-19 in Kenya.

“Following the meeting, and in furtherance of directives to curb the communal spread of COVID-19 across the country, the Government has ordered for the cessation of movement into and out of both Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee Camps effective tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29, 2020,” a tweet from Matiang’i read.

No confirmed cases have been reported in any of the camps so far.

The concern is that these refugee camps which are overpopulated could unwittingly become areas in which the coronavirus could spread exponentially. Dadaab has a population of more than 200,000 while Kakuma has a population of at least 180,000.

Dadaab refugee camp is located in Garissa County which has not yet recorded any COVID-19 case but borders Somalia which, having recorded 582 cases and 28 deaths is the second worst affected country in the East and Horn of Africa regions.

Kakuma refugee camp is located in Turkana County in the northwest, a region that has also not yet recorded a positive COVID-19 case.

Both refugee camps have been added to the list of areas in which movement into and out of them has been restricted. The Nairobi Metropolitan Area and the counties of Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Mandera are the others.

A charity organization CARE has expressed its concern saying Dadaab has no health infrastructure in place that could deal with an outbreak. Philippa Crosland-Taylor, the country director said that a potential outbreak would be a “disaster”.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Kenya as of April 29 stands at 384 while the number of recoveries stands at 129 with 15 fatalities.

TANZANIA COVID-19 CASES SHOOT TO 480 AS OPPOSITION CALL FOR INCLUSIVE INTERVENTION

Osoro Nyawangah, Dodoma TANZANIA

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tanzania has today jumped to 480 after 196 people tested positive of the novel coronavirus as opposition leaders call for government to give true data and take advised measures to slow the impact of coronavirus.

Tanzania Prime Minister  Kassim Majaliwa (L), officiating handover of 10 new ambullaces donated by government through Global Fund to some hospitals in the country while Minister for Health, Ummy Mwalimu (C), looks on.

The figures include 22 of those announced by the Zanzibar Minister of Health, Hamad Rashid yesterday making Tanzania most infected country in East Africa.

Making the announcement the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, said the country had also registered six more deaths bringing the number of fatalities to 16 since the virus was first recorded in Tanzania in March this year.

Prime Minister said that of the 196 new cases 174 are from Tanzania Mainland whereas 22 are from Zanzibar.

Without elaborating on the regions of the new patients or deaths, Majaliwa said that the numbers of those who have recovered from the virus now stood at 167 from 48, out of those who have healed 36 are from Zanzibar whereas 83 are from Mainland Tanzania.

He called on the general public to stop disseminating false information on the deaths because not every death has to be related to coronavirus.

Talking in an online television later today, the leader of opposition party (CHADEMA), Freeman Mbowe called for inclusive intervention; urging the government to give true data on the new cases, deaths and enforce scientific measures to fight COVID-19

Leader of opposition party (CHADEMA),
Freeman Mbowe

He said the data given by Tanzania government are cooked and do not reflect the reality at the community. “We know how mortuaries are full of dead bodies, we see how the government is participating in burying the dead at night and deny the relatives to participate. We know, so let the government come forward and tell us and the WHO the truth” He said.

Mbowe who is the leader of opposition in the Parliament urge the government to request assistance from other developed countries and United Nations institutions to help the country from mass deaths that the country is facing in a near future.

"It is high degree of stupidity for a country to think that it can fight COVID-19 its own way through economic, scientific, cultural, religious based or through sorcery." He warned adding that the pandemic has killed hundreds of people in developed countries that could not be compared with Tanzania.

He said that at this juncture, where the government of Tanzania declined to carryout mass testing, it cannot control the community-based widespread of coronavirus and deaths without support from World Health Organization or developed countries.

“We need immediate support for personal protective equipments (PPE), testing and other hospitalised equipments to fight the novel coronavirus; we are exposing our health practitioners to danger by providing limited protective gears.” Mbowe stressed.

He asked the President of Tanzania, John Magufuli, to rethink of his strategies in fighting COVID-19 by including opposition leaders, faith based leaders and communicate with other presidents to gain experience from those countries.

The opposition leader warned that coronavirus is real and is in the community and that every person has obligation to take proper protective measures as advised by health experts.

Last week, President Magufuli ruled out the lock-down of commercial city of Dar es Salaam, citing that the city is the only centre where the government collect almost 80 per cent of the country’s revenue.

Magufuli also urged medical authorities to promote the use of natural remedies to fight the disease, shunting science aside and discourage use of imported face masks for risk of contamination.

The country has not taken into account the scientific measures like total or partial lock-down of the cities, towns, churches, mosques and cross-border cargo trucks’ movements.  - Africa

RWANDA GETS COVID-19 RELIEF FROM QATAR

By Edwin Ashimwe, Kigali RWANDA

Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Daniel Ngamije, has said that the medical supplies Rwanda received from Qatar were a considerable boost to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ngamije said this as he officially received the supplies loaded on a Qatar Airways aircraft which landed at Kigali International Airport on Wednesday morning. 

Handed over by Abdallah bin Ahmed, Ambassador of Qatar to Rwanda, the assorted equipment with an estimated value of $1 million measured 15 tonnes. 

The consignment includes personal protective equipment (PPEs) such as face masks, gloves, overalls for frontline workers, hospital boots, among others. 

“They are materials that we really needed these days. They also come in to compliment a number of medical equipment that our government has bought since the pandemic struck,” Ngamije said.

Additionally, the health minister pointed out that, “These are materials which are used frequently, a frontline worker can change their attire more than five times per day, which means that we always ensure that there is enough stock for people helping out in different health facilities.”

Ngamije also highlighted the good bilateral relationship that both governments enjoy.

“Our relationship is strong, in such times, different countries need such donations seeing that they are able to provide such donations it is a sign that our relationship is at a good standing.”

According to the Qatari ambassador to Rwanda, the donation comes to fulfill the promise announced by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made on Monday, April 27.

The Emir had directed his government to quickly deliver medical equipment to Rwanda and other countries to support the country’s efforts to fight the #COVIDー19 pandemic.

The other countries expected to receive the delivery from the Gulf nation include Algeria, Tunisia and Nepal.

Considering the number of COVID-19 patients in the country, and the equipment in stock so far, the health minister said, “We are sure that this can take us for more three months”

Rwanda has so far confirmed 212 coronavirus cases of which 95 have fully recovered. The country has not reported any death thus far.

Qatar Government through Qatar Airways acquired a stake in the upcoming international airport in Bugesera district and confirmed earlier this year that it was in the advanced stages of negotiations to acquire a 49 per cent stake in RwandAir.

The two countries also collaborate in other areas including fighting corruption.

LEAVE AFRICAN COVID-19 TESTING BEHIND AT YOUR PERIL, HEALTH CHIEF WARNS WORLD

By Dave Chambers, Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Africa's lack of access to Covid-19 tests could undermine the global fight against the virus, says the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, says test shortages are hampering the continent's Covid-19 response.

Writing in Nature, John Nkengasong said powerful countries were racing to acquire tests, and without its own manufacturing capacity Africa would be left behind.

“No country can securely eliminate Covid-19 — or its devastating economic domino effects — if the disease becomes rampant across a continent of 1.3-billion people. For Africa to get ahead of the pandemic, we need to scale up testing fast,” said Nkengasong.

On Wednesday, Africa had confirmed 35,800 infections and 1,528 deaths, but the numbers are rising by more than 40% a week, and Nkengasong said they were likely to be underestimates.

“Ethiopia has run about 11,000 tests — only 10 for every 100,000 people. Much-richer South Africa has run about 280 per 100,000. For Australia, the number is about 2,000; for the US, 1,560,” he said.

Forty-three countries had been trained by Africa CDC to test for the virus, but tests were not available.

“The collapse of global co-operation and a failure of international solidarity have shoved Africa out of the diagnostics market,” said Nkengasong. “With its lack of hospitals and high prevalence of conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and malnutrition, Africa could see Covid-19 mortality rates higher than elsewhere, even in children. It will be higher still the more slowly we implement testing.

“Lack of access to diagnostics is Africa’s achilles heel. When SARS-CoV-2 [the virus strain which causes Covid-19] was first reported, genome sequences were made available within weeks and several groups in Asia and Europe started producing in-house tests.

“Africa lacked this capacity and had to wait for the tests to be introduced, a tardy ‘trickle-down’ of diagnostics. The situation has now become worse: a race is on by the powerful to acquire whatever Covid-19 tests are available.”

Nkengasong said global protectionism had led more than 70 countries to impose restrictions on the export of medical materials.

“Wealthier countries should reserve some fraction of these supplies for export; that would cut their own risk that the disease will be reintroduced,” he said.

“Where export markets are open, African countries must band together to negotiate as one large customer, rather than as many small buyers fighting for a seat at the table.”

Once this was done, three more steps were needed to scale up testing:

• “We have to work with non-government laboratories and the private sector to roll out testing on the subnational level. In many countries, samples must be shipped to a centralised diagnostic laboratory, which adds cost and delay;”
• “We need to make sure our testing technologies can use the existing platforms that have been the backbone for large-scale testing for HIV and tuberculosis;” and
• “We need to speed up the production of test kits within Africa. Plans for production are under way in Kenya, Morocco, Senegal and SA.”

Nkengasong said Africa CDC's Partnership to Accelerate Covid-19 Testing (Pact), launched this month, aimed to reach 10-million tests in the next four months.

“For Pact to succeed and save lives, it needs international support and partnership with the private sector, not interference, and support from the African Union Covid-19 Response Fund,” he said. “Government leaders, finance and health ministers and global-health experts must be willing to work together for a collective win, even when leaders feel pressure from their own nations.

“Hundreds of thousands of Africans shouldn’t need to die because of a global crisis that requires global action and global solidarity. If Africa loses, the world loses.” - Sowetan

MADAGASCAR’S PRESIDENT TOUTS HERBAL DRINK AGAINST COVID-19

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar

As their high school reopened after being closed for a month due to the coronavirus, students in Madagascar’s capital city were given face masks and a small bottle of an herbal extract they were told to drink to protect them from COVID-19.

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina promoted the drink, Covid Organics, on national television saying it will “change the course of history.”

Many grimacing at its bitter taste, the students swallowed the drink and entered school to resume classes, where they were now seated one to a desk instead of two, for safer distance.

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina promoted the drink, Covid Organics, on national television saying it will “change the course of history.”

There are no approved drugs for COVID-19 and numerous treatments and vaccines are currently being tested around the world.

Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island nation of 26 million people, currently has 128 recorded cases of Covid-19 and no deaths.

The herbal drink has not been scientifically tested and there’s no proof it works against COVID-19. But the president is enthusiastically promoting it.

“What we want to do today is to popularize this drink to protect our population,” said Rajoelina on television and then drank a bottle of the concoction.

The drink is being distributed for free in some schools that are reopening and in poor neighborhoods. Elsewhere it is being sold for about 30 cents for an 11-ounce bottle.

The drink was developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, a private organization that for more than 30 years has researched the uses of Madagascar’s traditional medicines. The label on the bottle does not list the ingredients but the president said it is made from artemisia, a bitterroot that is used in some malaria drugs.

Medical experts are critical of the drink, pointing out that no scientific tests have been done on it.

“The scientific evidence that this is effective has not been proved. It’s likely that it could actually harm the health of the population, particularly that of children,” said the president of Madagascar’s Academy of Medicine, Marcel Razanamparany, in a statement.

With no approved drugs for COVID-19, some people around the world are resorting to unproven therapies, sometimes with the backing of government leaders. Rigorous testing of herbal and other traditional remedies is needed, say experts.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has warned against alternative medicine — including certain herbal therapies and teas — for treating or preventing COVID-19, saying there was no evidence they work and some may be unsafe.

“It’s the responsibility of those who make a herbal drink to show the scientific evidence that their claims are valid,” said Dr. Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who runs Quackwatch, a website about unproven medical therapies.

“This is a worldwide problem, with untested products being promoted as cures,” he said. “The money spent producing this might be better spent in Madagascar vaccinating children against measles and other childhood diseases.”

Madagascar is currently battling an outbreak of measles, which last year killed nearly 1,000 children.

In Madagascar, the herbal drink was developed in recent weeks and will also be sold in larger 1-liter bottles for the equivalent of 80 cents and as tea bags for $2.60 for a box of 14.

In front of the Ampefiloha high school, in the center of the capital Antananarivo, hundreds of students in their final year, took the drink in order to return to class.

“I was a little afraid of this remedy at the beginning but I saw a program on television where the president of the republic drank it so I am no longer worried,” said Hugo Ramiakatrarivo.

“They say it boosts immunity, but I don’t know if it will work. My parents told me not to take this medicine. They even told me not to go to school today because the epidemic is not over and especially not to drink this medicine. They are really scared. But I decided to come to study because we have our exam at the end of the year.”

Classes were suspended on March 23 by the Malagasy authorities after the announcement of the first cases of COVID-19 in the country.

The school’s principal, Mamisoa Randrianjafy, reassured skeptical students.

“It is an herbal tea as we are used to taking,” he explained, saying it is like many other herbal remedies popular in Madagascar. He said that if students refuse the drink, they would not be permitted to attend classes.

The secretary general of the Ministry of National Education, Herimanana Razafimahefa said the drink will be given to all students in the capital and two other cities where COVID-19 has been confirmed.

At the Ampefiloha high school, Déborah Andrianary, 19, took a few sips of the drink.

“It’s bitter and a little sweet at the same time, so it made me want to throw up,” she said. “I’m not afraid to drink it because I’m used to herbal teas, but the taste is really weird. I don’t know if I’m going to finish this bottle.” - NewsDay

MOROCCO DETECTS MORE THAN 300 COVID-19 CASE IN PRISONS

By Our Correspondent, Rabat MOROCCO

Moroccan prisons service said that more than 300 cases of novel coronavirus have been detected at three Moroccan prisons after a campaign of testing of inmates and guards in the country’s 73 jails.

Following 1,700 tests across the country, it said 303 infections were recorded at a jail in the southern town of Ouarzazate, 62 of them prison employees. Ten others were found in the central city of Marrakesh and in Ksar Kebir in the north.

Further tests were being carried to confirm five possible cases at Tangiers prison, AFP reported.

Morocco has confirmed 4,252 cases of coronavirus, including 165 deaths from COVID-19 and 778 recoveries. The kingdom has imposed strict social distancing measures and made it compulsory to wear masks outside.

The prison service has said the virus in Morocco’s jails, which hold nearly 80,000 inmates, are under control thanks to “preventive measures” such as quarantines and remotely held court hearings.

In early April, more than 5,650 detainees were released under royal pardons in an effort to reduce the risk of the virus spreading in the country’s notoriously overcrowded penitentiaries. However, almost 5,500 new inmates were registered between March 15 and April 21, according to prison service figures.

Morocco’s public health state of emergency is to remain in place until at least May 20. – Africa

CHINA DONATES COVID-19 MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO UGANDA

File: Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zheng Zhuqiang (L) shaking hands with Uganda President, Yoweri Museveni

Kampala, UGANDA

China on Tuesday delivered an assortment of medical supplies to Uganda to help the East African country fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zheng Zhuqiang, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, handed over the medical supplies to Ruth Aceng, Uganda’s minister of health.

Zheng said the medical supplies donated include 10,000 surgical mask, 2,000 N95 medical mask, 2,000 disposable protective clothing, 500 infrared thermometer, 2,000 medical protective goggles, 10,000 pairs of surgical gloves and 10,000 pairs of medical isolation shoe cover.

He said the second batch would soon be donated to Uganda.

Zheng said China will cooperate with Uganda to jointly fight the pandemic.

“One of the important experiences China has obtained from its fight against the COVID-19 is that no matter how vicious the virus is, solidarity stands as the key to our victory against it,” he said.

Minister Aceng hailed China for its continued support to Uganda especially in the fight against COVID-19.

She said Uganda is in great need of testing kits as it carries out a nationwide rapid assessment survey of the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities.

Uganda currently has 79 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with a total of 47 patients already discharged after recovery.

The country fears that the disease may spread further after some of the positive cases interacted with the public.

The country has instituted a series of measures to stop the spread of the virus among which include a lockdown, banning public gatherings and closing of schools. - Africa

MALAWI LAUNCHES $40 MONTHLY CASH TRANSFERS TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS IMPACT

Lilongwe, MALAWI

The President of Malawi has announced the introduction of an emergency cash transfer programme which will see a monthly payment of K35,000 ($40) for the next three months to cushion vulnerable households from the economic effects of various restrictions his government is implementing to contain the pandemic.

President Arthur Peter Mutharika

“We are introducing an emergency cash transfer programme to serve small scale businesses in and around our major markets in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba and others. This is an extended cash transfer facility to support Malawians who depend on the markets for their survival. Government will target a minimum of 172,000 households in these areas, representing an estimated 35 percent of the urban population,” he said.

He said the program will be implemented for a period of six months translating into three months of response and three months of recovery.

Each identified household will be paid electronically through mobile payments K35,000 per month and the amount is based on the prevailing government minimum wage rate.

“My government will continue implementing already instituted and announced measures such as restricting movement to contain the spread of the pandemic; we will also continue to recruit more health workers, establishing more testing centers with a target of 15 testing centers across the country in the next three months so that we effectively fight the pandemic,” Mutharika said.

The low-income country, which so far seen has 36 positive cases of COVID-19 and three deaths, has suffered from economic stagnation in recent years, leading to increasing unrest over falling living standards.

The World Bank said last week it had approved a $37 million funding package to help Malawi respond to the coronavirus.

In an interview later, Leader of Opposition in parliament Robin Lowe said he welcomed the move but said the new committee should save the best interests of Malawians. “If this is committee includes the church, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and experts, then we are ready to serve in it, but if it is business as usual just like the first one, then I am afraid I cannot committee myself because we need a committee that will serve in the best interests of Malawians and not political interests,” Lowe said.

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Chairperson Gift Trapence it was important that government clearly spell out how much will be spent and criteria to be in place to identify the poor in the country. He said all the organisation has been calling on the government to do was to provide safety nets for Malawians to cope with the effects of the pandemic.

“The second issue is that any lockdown should protect the poor from dying with hunger, there must be clear safety nets on how social economic rights of Malawians will be protected,” Trapence said. Livingstonia synod of the CCAP’s Church and Society program’s Executive Director Moses Mkandawire said it was very important for Mutharika to address Malawians on the issue.

“We want an inclusive Covid 19 response where the welfare of Malawians is its sole purpose where there is accountability in the way funds are being used” Mkandawire said.

The Malawi Law Society (MLS) opined that upon the president’s declaration of a state of disaster, the committee that was instituted on March 10, 2020 ceased to have any mandate and that the responsibility to manage the disaster would now have been in the hands of the minister for Disaster Preparedness and Relief Everton Chimulirenji. - Africa

RWANDA TAKES NEW MEASURES ON CROSS BORDER TRUCKS

By Daniel Sabiiti, KIGALI Rwanda

The Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has released directives that intend to prevent more spread of new COVID-19 pandemic which has largely affected trans-border truck drivers and their assistants according to recent records.

Cross border truck drivers have caused a new increase in COVID-19 cases

Since April 24, the country has started registering big numbers of new cases. On that very day, the Ministry of health confirmed 22 new cases, the biggest number since the first case was registered on March 14.

During the weekend, the ministry registered more cases noting an increase caused by cross border truck drivers, and Yesterday, April 27, the country registered 16 cases. 

This became a new challenge while the country was registering more recoveries and quite a few new cases. 

To face the challenge, RRA said in a statement that effective this Monday April 27th all trucks crossing into Rwanda will no longer enter with the driver from the country of origin.

Moreover, all at customs clearing services that are normally offered in Kigali, will be available at border points. 

“Clearing of goods shall be done using pre-clearance mechanisms currently in place- that is SCT clearance framework and payment of duties and taxes before arrival of goods for quick release at the border posts,” said RRA Commissioner General, Pascal Bizimana Ruganintwari.

RRA furter said in a statement, that it has become a requirement for every cross border truck to have two drivers, to make sure that the one from the departure point gets checked from the border and stays there as the second one from Rwanda takes over.  

“Transporters who shall have two truck drivers one from the point of departure and a second driver based on a Rwandan territory shall be allowed to proceed to the final destination after fulfilling the health guidelines,” RRA said in a statement.

It’s worth reminding that every person entering Rwanda has to go under COVID-19 test and to be put in a quarantine for 14 days. 

In another twist, RRA said that on-board cargo and conveyors shall be offloaded before crossing into the country. Warehouses shall be available at entry points of Rusumo and Kagitumba borders for loading and offloading.

This will also come with availability of inland cargo depots for effective loading and transshipment exercises at the two entry points of Rusumo and Kagitumba which connect Rwanda to Tanzania and to Uganda respectively. 

RRA asked clearing agencies, shippers, transporters, importers, exporters and warehouse operators to electronically submit all declaration accompanying cargo, to avoid more paperwork which would lead to further contamination.

RRA said that transit goods shall be escorted upon entry, up to the final destinations. – KT Press