Covid-19 leads MDM to cancel ativities – AIM report

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Covid-19 leads MDM to cancel ativities – AIM report

10:00 CAT | 01 Apr 2020

File photo: DW

The opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) has suspended all its planned activities for an indefinite period, in response to the threat posed by the Covid-19 respiratory disease.

According to MDM spokesperson Sande Carmona, cited in Tuesday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, the party leadership took this decision to protect the lives of MDM members and of other citizens they might interact with.

The MDM, he added, believes that the sooner citizens comply with the social distancing measures recommended by the Health Ministry, the sooner the country will be free of the pandemic.

As for the declaration of a state of emergency, Carmona described this as a legitimate decision, given the highly dangerous nature of Covid-19. But he insisted that the state must behave in an intelligent way, taking account of the fact that most of the population is poor, and does not have the capacity to acquire sufficient essential goods to cover the entire period of the emergency.

“This is the moment in which the state should show that it is capable of responding to emergency situations”, said Carmona.

The MDM had been undertaking an awareness raising campaign among its members on the measures needed to prevent Covid-19. This campaigning was done through public meetings, which the MDM has now cancelled.

Carmona said the party will adopt “other communication strategies” to keep its members informed.

The MDM is the second opposition party to cancel activities. The main opposition force, Renamo, last Thursday ordered its local delegations to cancel all planned meetings and rallies, in order to comply with social distancing measures to fight the disease.

Source: AIM