PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pretoria- Saturday, 21st March, 2020
The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, has advised members of the public wishing to access services from the Mission to start utilizing digital platforms as physical contacts with members of staff will not be available in the interim period.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Major General Jackson Miti says this move was meant to reduce on human to human contact following the increasing numbers of COVID19 cases recorded in South Africa so far.
He said in the interim period, members of staff will not be physically available at the Chancery for duties until the situation was contained.
General Miti said only emergency matters would be attended to physically by securing an authorised appointment with the staff members concerned.
He has since encouraged the public to utilize digital systems such as phones and internet facilities to access services from the Mission.
He added that issuance of visas to people wishing to travel to Zambia will be handled on a case to case basis as part of the measures to limit the spread of the virus that has spread to many countries across the globe.
South African President His Excellency Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa recently declared the presence of COVID 19 in that country a state of National Disaster and the government has since put in place a number of restrictions to contain the spread of the virus that has so far infected about two hundred and forty people across the country with Gauteng Province recording highest numbers.
Mrs Naomi Nyawali
First Secretary Press and Public Relations
Zambia High Commission South Africa
Press@zambiapretoria.net
APPROVED BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS