Zambia may experience famine because the UPND government-Musenge

AT the rate things are moving, Zambia may experience famine because the UPND government is failing to find solutions to alleviate poverty coupled with the erratic distribution of agricultural inputs is threatening food security in the country,’’ Mwenya Musenge has said

Mr Musenge said poverty levels among the majority Zambians in various communities have continued to escalate with government turning a deaf ear to the cries of the people, but was instead concentrating on silencing those reminding government of its campaign promises

In an interview, Mr Musenge said the UPND has no plan of alleviating poverty and promoting food security and this was why it was coming up with cooperatives which had failed to work from the time of UNIP

“The Cooperatives which the UPND or the New Dawn administration were preaching about have been attempted on several occasions by successive governments starting with UNIP and very little or nothing was achieved. The levels of poverty among the majority Zambians have continued to escalate.

Yes, poverty has continued to worsen in communities and the government is failing to find solutions to poverty alleviation and, to make matters worse, he erratic distribution of agricultural inputs is threatening food security in the country. We may experience famine,’’ Mr Musenge said.

Mr Musenge advised the UPND government not to blame the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) or the climatic conditions for its failure to set the stage for poverty alleviation and food security by not distributing agricultural inputs on time.

He said it was shameful that the UPND which bragged to be well-versed in agricultural issues could fail to distribute agricultural inputs on time, reducing farmer to sharing fertiliser in buckets and Medas.

Last week, more than 50 farmers in Katoka Mema area and other parts of Kamfinsa constituency in Kitwe said they could not live on ‘Free Education’ alone and needed food for survival and it was imperative that agricultural inputs were delivered on time for the sake of food security.

Jennipher Chilombo, a 59 year old farmer of Minsaka area said the new dawn failure to deliver agricultural inputs on time is not only an abrogation of its campaign promises, but also an act which may threaten food security

Chilombo said the UPND which promised to be giving one farmer 12 bags of fertiliser, had not only failed to deliver inputs on time , but was subjecting Cooperatives of 50 people to share 12 bags of fertiliser with two 10 kilogrammes of seeds

“If the Minister of Agriculture and his government have a conscious, they would have resigned after this agricultural inputs scandal. This is a scandal and a right thinking person cannot defend it. Wherever you go, people are cursing this government for its lies, especially on agricultural inputs

“People, farmers in particular are saying they cannot live on free education only, they need food to survive. Food comes with a proper plan of food security by delivering agricultural inputs on time. Failure to deliver agricultural inputs on time threatens food security,’’ Ms Chilombo said