Burundi: Expelled [Person Non Grata] a Team of Experts from WHO!

Well, this is apparently happening, as of today. There been released a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directed to the World Health Organization offices in Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). Where one of the experts came from, this being Dr. Walter Kazindi Mulumbo.

The are three more experts and doctors who was banished or “person non grata” from its territory. These are Dr. Daniel Tarzy, Dr. Ruhana Mirindi Bisimbwa, and Dr. Jean Pierre Mulunda Nkata. All of these is stated to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo or part of the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO). However, I don’t have that verified. What matters is that these doctors and experts has to flee the Republic and in haste. They are not welcomed, even if they are coming there to give advice and help the authorities to deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

What is clearly stated by the letter is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says their final day in the Republic is 15th May 2020. They received the letter on the 12rth May 2020. The International Airport in Bujumbura is temporary closed for international flights because of COVID-19. The reason why the team came in the first place.

Therefore, this is very peculiar, but not shocking. In a state where civil society has been battled, where political affiliation is life or death. In a state where the ruling regime rules with an iron fist. In this reality, the eviction of a few people doesn’t hurt much. Even in the midst of a pandemic. Where the Republic releases very little information nor does anything really about it. They are in campaign mode and into getting the successor on the throne at any cost.

That CNDD-FDD and Nkurunziza would do this isn’t shocking. It shouldn’t be. This is the Modus Operandi. This is what they do. They just do it sort of diplomatically and gives you a proper send-off. Take a hike Mike and find a bike or something to cross into Rwanda, Democratic Republic or something. Hitch-hike from Bujumbura to the borders and hope your lucky to pass across.

That is how it seems. Because, it is not like the state has a lockdown, has curfew or social distancing. They are parading in the streets and holding rallies. They are going from town to town paint it ready for the polls on the 20th May 2020.

That is why the state doesn’t need a WHO Report on their indifference to COVID-19 or the Coronavirus. They don’t need foreigners to questions their actions, their inactions or anything. They just need to move. That is the initial message. This is the same republic that has stopped Election Observers in the same time-frame and made it impossible have foreign observer teams to oversee the polls. Therefore, sending these home fits like a glove.

Burundi wants to be a pariah-a state, it is like its a prize and that they long to have the title. Be the Grand Dictatorship of East Africa. Be the beacon of totalitarian efforts and wants to be in the same league as North Korea. That is the dream, that’s why it wants to make things bloody and ensure total destruction of oversight. Nobody is supposed to see anything anyway. Except if your high ranking official in the CNDD-FDD, than your authorized to do everything in your power.

Well, so a WHO TEAM became “Person Non Grata” in the midst of the Global Pandemic. We know we live in a stupid timeline. When this is a thing, but so is our leaders too. Since, they lack common sense to implement proper conditions to stop the spread. Instead, they play ignorant, hoping it will just go away. Peace.

United Kingdom: Sir Keir Stramer MP letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson (13.05.2020)

Lesotho: Ministry of Health – Latest Results on Investigated Cases of COVID-19 (13.05.2020)

Eswatini: Ministry of Health – COVID-19 Update (13.05.2020)

Tanzania: The COVID-19 Response without a direction [and absent Head of State]

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light”Plato

I am sure there goats, pawpaws and others who are feeling guilty right now. Just as today the United States Embassy in the United Republic of Tanzania alleged the state and the hospitals of Dar Es Salaam struggles to cope with the amount of Coronavirus cases.

We know that there are issues as Kenya and Uganda are putting in the numbers of Tanzanian Truck-drivers driving into their Republics. In Kenya, they are not letting the truck-drivers pass into the Republic if they have it. There is Presidential Directive in Uganda to await on the border-points to the results of the tests are done. Before they are allowed to carry-on or not.

Therefore, the neighbour republic’s are acting upon the issues within Tanzania. There haven’t been any reports on the amount of spread, how many who has it or has died of it. There was reports last month of burring the dead at night. So, the President doesn’t want to scare or make any issues. The President just hopes it vanish into thin air.

That’s why Zambia even closed the borders for a while. They did this because of the fear of spread from Tanzania. That is worrying, as the Republic’s around Tanzania see the issue, but the man leading it internally doesn’t see it. His only praying and hoping holy water can save the day. If so, the Madagascar cure can solve it too. Because, what better leave this up to faith and not use our general intelligence, which God has blessed mankind with. A common sense, which clearly is far from common with the man in charge.

He is neglecting meetings with Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC). We know its serious when today, the Embassy of Ireland closed in Dar because of the COVID-19 spread there. They wouldn’t do that, if they didn’t see the need to do so.

What we are seeing is a man fumbling in the dark without any direction. The President is walking into darkness without a flashlight nor using his light on his cellphone. His just wandering around and not acting upon a crisis. He hopes to gloss over it and that it dies out on its own. If he does it like this, his own will die and he will create havoc. More losses than he could have achieved and also ensured more people could possibly live long healthy lives. Instead, he wanted to be a simp in his home and not act upon it.

President Magufuli thinks living in ignorance is a virtue. He thinks that this is enlightenment and brilliance. This from the same man nicknamed the bulldozer, now his the ghost in the machine and the missing Head of State.

Its like his lost in his office, trying to configure his Nintendo Gameboy from his childhood or something. His secretaries are asking if he plans to do something about it or order PPE. No, he needs to play Mario and Donkey Kong. It’s like he cannot act upon the works of government. The man wasn’t prepared for this or had any training in dealing with a pandemic. He just want to wish it away. Like a little kid wishing upon a star and hoping the wish comes true.

That is the man of Magufuli. He was a coward not letting activists, journalists and opposition act upon their roles in society without getting into legal trouble. He could be rough with them, but a virus. His so weak, fragile and beyond comprehension. That is why he is shell of himself.

Somewhere in the Presidential Palace his playing Gameboy and enjoying Mario hours upon end. Because, this man cannot govern. At least not in the sense of achieving positive results in concern of this COVID-19. Unless, letting lots of people die of mysterious illnesses and not do proper testing. Also, not stopping the spread and ensuring the lives of the citizens. Social distancing and lockdowns are curse-words in the mind of this President.

No, his just into gaming and doing nothing. Which he apparently does best, because he cannot govern. Peace.

United Kingdom: PM Boris Johnson letter to Sir Keir Stramer MP (13.05.2020)

President Museveni letter: The Shs. 20M Diverted from the Government Plan by Parliament (28.04.2020)

Ethiopia: Notification Note on COVID-19 Situational Update (13.05.2020)

A look into the Parliament Report from the Sub-Committee on Health on COVID-19!

Today the Parliament dropped the “INTERIM REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY SUB-COMMITTEE ON HEALTH ON COVID-l9” . This is interesting that it comes now. As there are MPs whose busy praising the President and his work on it. While this interim report says a lot about what is lacking. The Report is only 14 pages, so its not a deep dive, but a small fragments of what is out there. This gives an indication of how it really is.

PPE:

Whereas personal protective equipment is the only guarantee for health workers and security personnel’s protection against viral transmission, there is acute shortage of masks, hand gloves, foot ware, disposable aprons, disinfectants and sanitizers across the board. In some facilities, health workers buy their own items for example at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. At Masaka Regional Referral Hospital which has five (5) COVID-l9 cases was supplied with only two (2) pieces of N-95 masks, Bwera Hospital has never received any supplies while in some facilities, health workers improvise through recycling of masks for days as supplies have not been received” (Interim Report, P1-2, 12.05.2020).

So, when the public, MPs and others praise the President and his team for the response to how they handled the COVID-19 pandemic and the needs. This here is showing how the Parliament could easily see that the Ministry of Health and the Hospitals doesn’t have enough PPE. Which is needed to secure the health-care workers and patients. That says a lot about how the state has dealt with this. Because, this should be one of the first priorities to secure the front-liners in the battle.

Quarantine Centres:

All districts visited have established quarantine centres which are mainly in schools” (…) “The centres lack water, mattresses, access to sanitary facilities and people in quarantine centres buy their own food. None of the quarantine centres had received any material or financial support from the centre” (Interim Report, P: 2, 12.05.2020).

It’s good that the districts has made quarantine centres. This is good work by the state and in such a haste. While, they should have provided food, water and sanitation for the ones quarantined. That should be essential to ensure the food safety and proper shelter, as they are not allowed to leave the premises and not spread the virus. Therefore, its a lack financial support is dire and should be a priority, Unless, they want to risk these people to breach the quarantine to buy matooke, posho and beans. Then, its sort of pointless!

On testing:

A11 facilities visited had systems in place to screen people. However, most facilities lacked the equipment such as temperatures guns” (…) “Testing Kits are also in short supply and transportation of the samples is a challenge. There have been efforts to trace the contacts however, full contact tracing is difficult to achieve” (Interim Report, P: 3, 12.05.2020).

This here is the key to understand how the spread is moving. When you struggle with testing. You struggle with the basics. This is not a unique issue, even the United Kingdom and United States struggles with this. Therefore, Uganda isn’t alone, but its a worry that its like this. When this is the key to figure out how rampant it is and where the virus has been spread. This should be the thing that opens the door and secure society. As the Ministry of Health would have an understanding of how grand scale the testing is and what scope it has. As there is questions about how big of a scope the state has done, when they struggle to have enough testing kits and transport it.

Human Resource:

Much as Ministry of Health was given money to recruit staff, save for Jinja and Mbale RRHs, the recruited staff are not yet deployed meaning that the existing staff is stretched. Most facilities have re-deployed staff from different departments of their units to specifically manage COVID -19 in some health facilities” (…) “Despite Parliament approving UGX 80,000 per person per day as risk allowance, most Health Workers and security personnel at the forefront of handling COVID-19 related issues have not received their allowances to date” (Interim Report, P: 3-4, 12.05.2020).

Again, the state haven’t done what they need to do to recruit needed staff to run sufficiently. Both the Health Care Centres and Hospitals need help from the Ministry to do this. Instead, they have the staff stretched and that will weaken the performance. This combined with the other reports shows the lack of work put into it.

I just looked at the issues directly hitting the Ministry of Health, the front-liners and the ones who has the challenge directly. I have not looked into the financial part of it. As that has been discussed elsewhere and this seems more as a priority. While the accountability and transparency is important. That is why the state should be transparent, but don’t expect that. As there is a wastage of funds and suddenly it disappears. That always happens… Just await another tender scandal in the making soon.

Therefore, this is enough for now. The report states the needs for a more thorough plan, more focus on details, procurement and securing the ones in need. Because, this hurts the whole system and only showing the weaknesses, which are there. Peace.

ACT Wazalendo – COVID-19: Don’t Keep Your People In The Darki, President Magufuli (12.05.2020)