Speaking when Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Dr. Buleti Nsemukila visited the Plant last week, ZAFFICO Tea Company Chief Operations Officer Benhail Mukuka disclosed that the Company commenced production three weeks before the visit and the new management is aware of the challenges at hand but will manage to bring them under control and make the Company viable.
He said the irrigation system will be worked on and by March the system will be in perfect working order after looking at the pumps and pipes which were vandalized due to neglect.
Mr. Mukuka further disclosed that the tea fields had not been fertilized for a long time and the factory has a part that grinds the tea which has worn out and will need to be replaced for the production process to produce good and quality tea.
He said salaries for the workers will be paid on time as he had already done the budget and submitted to Lusaka for approval.
Mr. Mukuka confirmed that the Company has a promising and bright future as already Kenya is demanding for the Tea from the Plant because consumption of tea is east Africa in high and the local production capacity of tea is failing to satisfy the demand there.
He explained that the Company has already sent samples for the Kenyan market because the Company wants to target the higher markets so that it can raise more revenue to meet operational costs.
Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Dr. Buleti Nsemukila is happy that Government has identified the right Institution to run the Tea Estate with an innovative and visionary leadership.
Kawambwa District Commissioner Ivo Mpasa thanked Government for coming to the aid of his people through ZAFFICO Tea Company to revive production of the Tea Estate.
He urged the new management to consider increasing the tea hectarage under cover by 200 every year in order to raise the rate of employment for the people in the area.
And Mr. Mukuka said the target is to increase the workforce from the current 176 to 500 in order to meet the target of producing 30 tonnes of tea production per day.
The District Commissioner disclosed that the Estate was opened in 1976 by the first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and was functional until 1991 when the privatization process crippled the company and brought it to its knees to the detriment of the welfare of the workers who were thrown into economic misery by the new owners of the Estate.
He said he is now happy that Government through ZAFFICO tea Company has come to the people’s rescue and has brought a new lease of life to the Estate which has over 60 years of production because the lifespan for tea is 100 years and the estate has only been existence for 40 years.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief Mushota of the Chishinga people of Kawambwa District has praised President Lungu for being a listening President and acting on the Kawambwa Tea Estate matter in the interest of the people.
Speaking when Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Dr. Buleti Nsemukila paid a courtesy call on him, the Senior Chief said President Lungu should be praised because he is a listening President.
He explained that traditional leaders in Kawambwa first met the President at Ilunga Lodge and tabled the matter before him for action and later he met them at Kala Camp for the Marine where he told them that ZAFFICO has taken over the Estate in accordance with their request to find a viable investor to revive the estate.
The Senior Chief said the new management under ZAFFICO Tea Company came to see him at his Palace three days before the PS went to visit him.
He added that the visit to his palace by the new Estate management confirmed that the Tea Estate will be revived and the workers will not lose their jobs.
Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Dr. Nsemukila said he had delayed to visit traditional leaders in the province from the time he was appointed in October last year because of the preparations for the National budget which kept him busy.
He said he is available for the traditional leaders in the Province and wants to work with them in bringing development to the people in their chiefdoms.
This is the beauty of the Patriotic Front. Zambia is slowly getting back on to her knees economically. I should think the founding fathers of this country are very proud to see such projects back.
Give us the names of those founding fathers? Because what i know is that the current so called Zambian borders were done by the British.
First paragraph says 176 workers are picking 40 tonnes a day. Then later we will increase acreage so tht we will have 500 workers and they will be able to pick 30 tons a day..am confused
Kikiki, pf mathematics.
Blame the reporter. He should have asked that question.
This article is confusing. They just it to appear like the work has already commenced but it is the same will do this we will do that the same song the PF govt sings everyday. Nothing is going on so far over there, it’s the same promises.
Ba Lusaka Time,
Have you started sunsuring of comments? Where is my response to Divide & Rule?
It has been terminated!!!
How can 176 workers produce 40tons and 500 to produce 30tons??
And the reporter is there nodding to the contradiction. If its not LT typo mistake, then there is something seriously wrong with that COO of this company.
Overall this is some positive news. I pray they manage the company professionally and productively.