The Minister of Information and Media and Chief Government Spokesperson Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa, MP, today held a press briefing in Choma where he discussed a number of issues among them the following:

✅ Government has expressed deep grief and sorrow on the demise of 13 people who died in a road traffic accident in Kalwa area of Serenje District following a collision of a bus and a truck yesterday around 11:00 hours.
✅ Minister of Information and Media and Chief Government Spokesperson Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa, conveyed heartfelt condolences to bereaved families, affirming that the Government is with the grieving families during this sorrowful time.
✅ The Minister further wished the 39 who sustained injuries during the devastating incident a speedy recovery.
✅ Mr. Mweetwa assured the nation that Government through the Central Province Administration is doing everything possible to alleviate the pain and burden of the bereaved family in this tragedy.
✅ The Minister urged motorists to exercise care on the road during this festive season, especially those carrying passengers.
✅ Government has directed the Road Transport Safety Agency (RTSA) to intensify traffic patrols to safeguard people’s lives.
✅ And Government has expressed concern with the demeaning language used by the Our Civic Duty Association (OCiDA) through a press release signed by Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu.
✅ Mr. Mweetwa urged Zambians to remain calm, focused and ignore the enemies of progress who just hate the head of state naturally.
✅ He stated it is extremely malicious, baseless and mischievous for OCiDA to claim that Zambia’s democratic space is decreasing.
✅ And the Minister reiterated that today’s Zambia is truly democratic, affirming that those claiming that democratic space is shrinking have just run out of ideas.
✅ Government will meet the Catholic bishops to resolve some of the issues raised by the church.
✅ The debt restructuring programme has reached stages that many thought would never be attained under the New Dawn Administration.
✅ Mr. Mweetwa said the repeal of the Defamation of the President and the enactment of the Access to information (ATI) Bill has further widened the democratic space in Zambia contrary to assertions that the democratic space in the country is shrinking.