Do not politicise coronavirus, says Bobi Wine

COVID-19 |  

 

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has urged politicians not to politicise the coronavirus pandemic, but form a united front to fi ght it. 

 

Appearing on a morning show on a local television, Bobi Wine noted that this is not the time to play politics, but to unite as a country to fight the spread of the coronavirus and ensure that the poor are accorded the basics to survive. 

 

"To our leaders, do not politicise this. Everybody is necessary, everybody's idea is important, let us put politics out of this. This is the time to be united as Ugandans and as human beings. We are in this together," he said. 

 

Bobi Wine asked the leaders to embrace all ideas from Ugandans, including those from different political groupings regarding the fight against the virus. 

 

He urged Ugandans to be each other's keeper and share information to ensure that everyone plays a role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. 

 

He implored the Government to relax restrictions on giving relief food to vulnerable people, noting that this way, Ugandans would be able to reach out to their needy neighbours, thereby accelerating the Government's efforts. 

 

Bobi Wine noted that instead of imposing restrictions and threatening to charge whoever is found distributing relief with attempted murder, the Government should put in place standard operating procedures (SOPs) to guide the process. 

 

Bobi Wine is among some of the politicians who donated food and other necessities, following the lockdown. However, because of the crowds, the distribution process led President Yoweri Museveni to issue a directive stopping it. 

 

Instead, Museveni said all food and other relief donations be handed over to the National Taskforce on coronavirus to ensure that the procedure is well co-ordinated and streamlined. 

 

 

Bobi Wine, who was speaking from his home in Magere, Wakiso district, applauded the Government for taking into account some of the proposals they made regarding the fight against coronavirus, including rolling out relief aid to the poor and relaxation on rent and loans. 

 

Post-COVID-19, he said the Government should empower local investors and producers with incentives. 

 

"We should empower local production in order to export more than we import," he said.  

 

The Kyadondo East MP said the Government should also focus on the healthcare system by increasing funding and improving the working conditions of health workers.  

 

 

Bobi Wine also protested against the way the Chinese are mistreating Ugandans living in China, branding it an act of racism. 

 

"It is unfortunate that you are treated like that because you are black. I have written to various heads of state in Africa and working with friends, including the Backlines in Atlanta. 

 

‘‘We want to get special planes to repatriate the Africans in China. In 2020, we cannot let any black man be disrespected on account of their skin," he said. 

 

Bobi Wine appealed to the Chinese government and the international community to ensure that the issue is addressed. 

 

International reports indicate that Africans in southern China's largest city, Guangzhou, have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines and mass coronavirus  testing as China steps up its fight against imported infections. 

 

According to stories featured in international media, such as CNN, Africans are being evicted from their homes, denied access to shops and food markets. 

 

On Saturday, the foreign affairs minister, Sam Kuteesa, met with China's envoy to discuss the plight of Ugandans in China. 

The Chinese foreign affairs ministry also issued a statement on its website in which it emphasised the Chinese government's zero tolerance for discrimination. 

 

It also assured Africans of support, promising to, among others, provide health management services without differentiation, designate hotels for accommodation of foreigners required to undergo medical observation and adopt price adjustment for those in financial difficulties.