The fight against COVID-19 is likely to meet resistance from some quarters due the presidential fresh elections ordered by the Constitutional Court following nullification of last year’s polls on 3rd February, 2020.
Malawians belong to different political groupings and they have different intentions that can sterilize the war against COVID-19 to satisfy their political affiliations but that cannot take away the fact that the disease exist in Malawi.
Presidential election is supposed to be conducted to justify the country’s constitutionalism but at the same time Malawians should abide to precautionary measures to prevent themselves from contracting COVID-19.
Neglecting the statistics of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has nothing to do with the existence of the pandemic among Malawians. The disease exists in the country and the citizens should ignore it at their own peril.
It is up to Malawians to unite and see off the disease or prioritizing politics that will see the country ravaged by the disease. Malawians need to draw a thin line between COVID-19 and politics. The line should be visible without the aid of a microscope.
Our priorities in the situation should foresee the gravity of consequences. COVID-19 is a disease that is killing many people in the world and the pandemic has destabilized world economy because many economic activities were halted. Project the after COVID-19 Malawi in such an angle. Should we agree to unite in the fight against the disease or we should value politics?
Just imagine we can choose to leave our political colors aside and agree to defeat as a nation? What can we lose? Can we stop to be diehards of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Malawi Congress Party (MCP) or UTM Party? I am sure these party colors will still wait for us. Do you think COVID-19 can hear any excuse from us? No! The disease is a pandemic that is killing many people in the world and we are special to be exempted.
Government has a huge role to play if the battle against COVID-19 is to be fruitful. Government should accept the fact that the battle will not be easy due to the attitude of Malawians ahead of presidential election polls.
I am optimistic that intensive inclusiveness in the war against COVID-19 can dwindle the perception that the battle belongs to a certain political grouping.
Government should leave the battle to health experts who know what to do, when to do and how to do. The politicians who have no any medical background must be taken out of COVID-19 taskforce.
The approach will not show that they are less important but they are important in other duties not the war against COVID-19. Together we can defeat COVID-19.