Over 100,000 people will starve if the Government does not send relief food to the Sinazongwe Dengeza in Senior Chief Mweemba’s area. The people have now resorted to eating the common grass called Mpunga and wild fruits.
This came to light when the deputy minister in the office of the Vice President Harry Kalaba toured Sinazongwe on Monday on a fact-finding mission.
The minister, who was accompanied by the area Member of Parliament Richwell Siamunene, Sinazongwe District Commissioner and senior officials from the disaster management unit, said it was unacceptable that people could be eating wild grass.
Speaking to journalists in Sinazongwe, Mr Kalaba said it was sad that people could be feeding on wild fruits and that the Government would not allow people to die of starvation.
“The people in the valley should not die of starvation, and that no one should be allowed to play politics at the expense of the lives of the people. As Government, we will move in quickly,” he said.
Mr Siamunene said the Government would deliver food to the area.
“The UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema should pick a leaf from this that there is time for everything and not always politicking,” he said.
The law maker said the situation was critical that he felt the need to engage the people in Government so that he would not be guilty for not attending to people’s plight.
“Over 100,000 households have resorted to eating grass known as Mpunga and wild fruits,” Mr Siamunene said.
He said the price of mealie meal had sky rocketted to KR70 or K70, 000 in the district.
He said the valley area was prone to drought resulting in people always in need of relief food.
“We need a comprehensive approach to the challenge that the people are facing. Irrigation systems should be put in place as Lake Kariba is just a stone’s throw away,” he said.
And Sinazongwe district commissioner Dodo Sindaza said his office had written to the food reserve agency (FRA) for supply of maize to the area as mealie meal was in short supply.
Gosh,our bumper harvests are no more and now sinazongwe folks are starving.You see what happens when you elect Pfools into office? Next you’ll hear zed’s once record reserves are down to $100k.
“The UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema should pick a leaf from this that there is time for everything and not always politicking”..ummm if this is not the dumbest statement I’ve heard then i don’t know what is…just do ur job as government what does HH have to do with it ee?by mentioning him..u are also politicking..bushe kwena when are we going to be rid of these useless politics!mxxxm just work ..do what u are suposed to be doing as govt ala imwe..
Why blam HH as if his FRA or government MR man if it you wish to join them just do it without accusing a man who have enough already to deal with!! on the other hand too bad Sinazongwe residents
Sinazongwe is in agro-ecological zone 3 in Zambia. Generally this zone is suitable for agriculture because of the soil type and the amount of rain. WHEN are we going to have a government that will harness the potential of the valley in other economic ventures? Kariba is housed by this valley and yet GRZ fails to strategize and improve the location. am not saying i have ideas but GRZcould seriously engage of communities to bring development in the area….I want to assume that investment in infratructure is what our country lacks now. The west and even South Africa invested in infrastructure and all they do now is reap. Why have we failed to invest in Infrastructure in the Valley and other areas in Zambia. I sadly wonder..
And PF is busy creating by elections. The money spent on such useless ventures can as well be used to avert this. I fear for the $750m bond if it will not just be depleted on By election
SORRY, I MEANT TO SAY AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE 3 IS NOT SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE.
siamunene is an *****..what leaf..is HH the president of Zambia..?
I think there is something seriously wrong with the governance model under Zambia’s multiparty system. Ideally, it is the duty of govt to provide all the neccessities for the citizens, and no opposition party can deny citizens to receive such. I don’t know whether HH is that desparate as to ask the govt not to deliver food, just so that he sways the hearts of the people to his side – but who will remain to give him his heart if people die? MP just provide the people with food, and stop politiking, work quietly, without making stupid and baseless statements to endear you to the electorates for the looming bye! Stupid *****!
Instead of farming, people are just marrying wives and thumping cows. When hunger sorts them out ati ni PF ewalengele Yaba!!!
@Bantustan Nyandule: I question your integrity! What else can a man marry apart from a wife? i will understand and respect your opinion if you are homosexual because you might want to marry a fellow man or woman depending on your sex.
Understand that farming in this agro-ecological zone is not economically viable due to the weather conditions and other physical factors like soils. Who is blaming who here? we simply advising GRZ to put in strategic measures that will ensure sustainability of food supplies in this area period. Thumping cows: No straight think zambian will think people thump cows unless for ritual reasons…rituals being rituals, any possessed person regardless of political affiliation can do inhumane things.
UNIP, MMD Goverments left this problem in this area and to blame PF Govt is out anger of losing the election.
Busying selling mazie in Tanzanian you live your owe pipo starving pf govermnet at work?
wat about 20000metrick tones in tanzania i thot u can feed these pipo one term gov
100,000 pipo is not a big number cos if u rebuse it becomes only 100, also the MP is very rich from his name RICHWELL meaning he is well rich a man to feed those R100 PIPO