Zambia reviews emergency laws, draws lessons from Ethiopia’s COVID-19 response

Zambia is reviewing its legislation on the management of emergency situations to improve the country’s preparedness and responsiveness to future crises, according to the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights, and Governance.

Committee Chairperson, Dr. Clement Andeleki, said the move was aimed at ensuring Zambia was better equipped to handle emergencies such as pandemics or other unforeseen challenges.

Andeleki made the remarks during a benchmarking visit to the House of Representatives of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, according to a statement issued on Friday by Zambia’s First Secretary for Press and Tourism, Inutu Mwanza.

“The purpose of the visit was to draw lessons from Ethiopia’s experience in handling emergency situations, including the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with a large population,” he said.

The Zambian delegation, which included eleven Members of Parliament, focused on how Ethiopia designed and implemented legal and policy measures to manage public health and other national emergencies.

“I wish to express my gratitude, and that of my delegation, to the Government of Ethiopia for hosting us and facilitating this important benchmarking tour,” Andeleki said.

He emphasized the value of continued collaboration between the Zambian Parliament and Ethiopia’s House of Representatives, calling for regular exchange visits to deepen inter-parliamentary relations.

Essa Boru, Deputy Chairperson of the Legal, Justice and Democracy Affairs Standing Committee of Ethiopia’s House of Representatives, welcomed the Zambian delegation and pledged full cooperation.

He provided an overview of Ethiopia’s legal and policy frameworks for emergency management, highlighting the Ethiopian Parliament’s oversight role in emergency declarations, the maintenance of constitutional rights, and ensuring a balance of powers during crises.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.