The World Bank has warned that the number of Africans living in extreme poverty is set to rise from 424 million before the pandemic in 2019 to 463 million this year, more than one third of the continent’s 1.2 billion population.
A recent multinational study on the burden of COVID on developing countries found extensive infection, leading to high rates of deaths.
As hundreds of millions of African workers and peasants face economic disaster and inadequate protection against COVID-19, African nations are expected to pay almost $500 billion by 2023 to avoid default.
The threat of the continent’s first COVID-related default testifies to the scale of the economic disaster affecting much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Zambia has been caught in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump’s reckless campaign to undermine China, which he views as a threat to US global dominance.
Lungu has enacted dictatorial measures in order to suppress social opposition to upcoming IMF austerity measures.
Eleven miners were shot at the Chinese-owned Collum Coal Mine, in the Sinazongwe District of southern Zambia on October 15, while protesting against low wages and poor conditions.
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