President Hakainde Hichilema has declared the prolonged dry spells in the country as a National Disaster and Emergency.
Speaking when he addressed the Nation on the impact of El Nino weather phenomenon at State House today, President Hichilema said the declaration is in accordance with the disaster management act number 13 of 2010, supported by other relevant legislations.
“Today, with a heavy heart, we address you, as our beloved country faces a severe drought, the worst of its kind, caused by the El Niño weather conditions in the 2023/2024 rain season and influenced by the climate change phenomenon,” President Hichilema remarked.
The President noted that the drought has devastating consequences on many critical sectors such as agriculture, water availability and energy supply, risking national food security and livelihoods of millions of Zambians.
“At national level the estimated planted area for maize is 2.2 million hectares and of this, approximately 1 million hectares has been destroyed.
“The dry spell is projected to continue, even into the month of march 2024, affecting over 1 million of our farming households,” the President said.
The Head of State stated that the drought is anticipated to adversely affect the energy sector that is expected to have a deficit of around 430 megawatts of electricity, potentially reaching more than 520 megawatts by December 2024.
President Hichilema has since announced that in view of the declaration of the drought as a national disaster and emergency, the government will undertake both short term and long term measures to stabilise the expected food insecurity.
Among the short term and long term measures announced by the President include channelling more resources towards humanitarian relief purposes to importing in order to ensure that affected citizens do not go hungry, importing additional electricity and rationing energy use as well as promoting alternative energy sources.
Others are mobilisation of farmers across the country to embark on planting early and winter maize through various forms of irrigation.
The President also announced that as a long term measure, the government will focus on enhancing water harvesting mechanisms to enable precision and other irrigation development so as to stimulate agricultural production.
President Hichilema has since indicated that the government will realign the 2024 national budget to achieve the targeted measures.
Meanwhile, the President directed Zambia’s defence forces to expand irrigation schemes as a way to increase food production.
“We will work with all farmers, farming input suppliers, grain traders, millers, academics, professionals, regulators, church, civil society, unions, traditional leaders, political parties and others,” President Hichilema said.
The destruction caused by the prolonged dry spell has severely affected 84 districts in Lusaka, Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, North-Western, Western and Southern Provinces.
A government of cowards
We told you on Lusakatimes not to get so excited selling all the maize to DCR. But you dont listen. You striked deals for your friends to export our food reserves to DCR. Southern African Governments were warned about the drought 3 years ago by the ECMRWF ( European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) as its Satelite Predictions Weather Technology has become reliable in the last 12 yrs. Governments were asked to put in place food reserve measures. Here we are now. Its like giving or selling all your food to your neighbours while your children are left with nothing, when you know shops have no food to sell to you.
In the 2023/2024 planting season Zambians tilled more land for food production than at any time in history. We were headed for a very bumper harvest until “satana adyaka pantambo”.Now the 2024/2025 season will be the defining year for HH and his team .The year will tax his organization skills, his business acumen, his patience and his diplomatic genius. His detractors will be many from all sides, but if he manages to pull the optimists together, in the end he shall prevail against this disaster. and as they say “the harder the battle. the sweeter the victory”
Now he has seen that being a President is no joke….blah blah blah whilst in opposition…in opposition he thought he was a genius and he had solutions for every problem.. now he has become a motivational speaker….in opposition he even had audacity to mock National day of prayer….Chipante pante Government….i remember during KK we had drought in the early 80s but all our Provincial cooperatives had enough maize…..remember we had ECU, NCU,SCU, LCU etc and all used to operate under Zambia Cooprative Federation ZCF led by Mr Willima….but HH and his minions sold all the maize
Mr President,
I’ve been communicating with members of your government for about three years proposing mitigating measures. Only one minister showed interest and he had to travel to Nairobi when I visited Lusaka last July. Some of my proposed measures are:
1) Fill up lake Kariba by increased vegetation growth along its bank (to arrest rainfall and raise the water table level)
2) Plough in stubble and other vegetation to increase water retention properties of soil
3) Promote zero-tillage to prevent unnecessary evaporation
4) Encourage riparian cultivation, this will be around the year, and through crop rotation, a plethora of crops can be grown
And lots more…I’m available at short notice Sir
WHy such measures have to go through government if it’s good you use what ever means to sell it to the people who work in farming. Does farmers need to be directed for every move they need to speak good practice among themselves. Why wait on government. Is it possible to make pasta from corn maze flour then should be done in the good times to combat when there is poor harvest for whatever reason.
The Almighty Supreme leader Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema it turns out he is just a useless motivational speaker…declaring National disaster and now its time to go to the World Bank and IMF with a massive begging bowl….chipante pante Government
when JOSEPH was in EGYPT the king had a dream which he asked joseph to interpret. Joseph interpretation was that there were years of famine ahead. He advised the king to start storing grain and when the famine came EGYPT had enough food.
WORLD METROLOGICAL ORGANISATION has been warning about EL NINO as far back as 2022. Check their web site.
Instead of storing the maize…..our govt decided to sale the crop. WHO DOES THAT???
The minister of Environment must step down or be fired. If he reads and follows what WMO is posting on its web page….he should have bn the first one to warn us about the impeding drought way back at the end of 2022. But he let president to tell people to grow more when he should have told his boss that we should grow food ONLY in northern Zambia. People in the south would not have NOT wasted their resources and energy. FIRE THIS MINSTER ….HE HAS BEEN SLEEPING ON DUTY!!!
There was a reason ECL declared National day of prayer in october. JUST before the rain season begins. It was meant to ask and pray to favour us with good rains and good crop. But our great leader ignored the october prayers and call for his “own” prayers in February and expects a bumper harvest? Now that after “HIS” prayers we only had drizzles that have disapeared he has called has declared a national disaster!!!! Too late….you were forewarned but you ignored the warnings. You needed to engage God in October but you chose someting else!!
Provinces should demand independent consultation from the central government to empower localized solutions. Universities worldwide should strive to provide valuable consultation to support sustainable development in affected regions. Collaboration and innovation are crucial to tackling these challenges effectively.
We are finished. Now you will start seeing USAID bags of mealie meal @ K1000 per bag ati this poor country Zambia now needs to make arrangements for resources to AID. Watch this space.
Hakainde Hichilema is such a disaster….his Government sold all the maize in the reserves….anyway he has a better solution…get more Kaloba from IMF in exchange for giving away all our minerals for free….don’t you think he is a genius???
Queuing up for mealie meal…at one time we had riots in Lusaka during KK and its just a matter of time….HH is a National Disaster himself…this guy needs to be kicked out of office ASAP
Zambians will have to survive the UPND term. You will be lucky to reach 2026!!
I saw a video on people queuing up for mealie meal in his home group Livingstone yesterday….if that was in Chipata or Kasama maybe we could have thought it was Propaganda …but in his own bedroom Livingstone……
Just less than 2 weeks ago they said Zambia has enough energy and don’t expect any loadsheding and now slowly they’re shifting the goal post….and i said it on this platform that very soon they will change their tone…so expect massive loadsheding….but remember loadsheding is already being experienced in most parts of the country but soon they will make it official…for now its just “maintenance “
@Anonymous. Yes you said it and it has come to pass!!! When I say this is the most useless government south of the equator it’s such things that vindicate my assertion.
Now watch the cost of living soar, loadsheding increase (there’s been no power for 3 days in some areas), kwacha go further down the toilet, national budget totally distorted, corruption and smuggling increase,…the list is endless. Next you will hear him flying out claiming to be sourcing money and food to mitigate the ‘national disaster and emergency’ and stop Zambians from starving. What a m@pp€t
We have enough money to evacuate the entire Cabinet for specialized treatment overseas…am sure we also have enough money to feed all the Zambians for the coming 5 years…if not then HH must resign for being the greatest liar on earth…the biggest Natural resources Bandit on this earth….Chakwera is about to step down…the pressure is mounting and Tinubu is next
Shortly after declaring Zambia has national disaster he will be back in the air with Mutinta spending taxpayer money.You have a comedian for a President.And next Gary Nkombo and Jack Mwiimbu will be wasting energy talking about Lungu and the DPP will be telling them that he can cage Lungu.what has happened to our country
“One trip for minister is able to provide irrigation facilities for rural Zambia. We are cancelling all trips for ministers to fund such a viable project.” Says HH. He is very hypocritical. He should cut down on his unnecessary trips first before he punishes his ministers. These are sentiments of a selfish leader. He has done a lone of trips which have not yielded any tangible results. He should be a leader who should live by example. Not with hypocrisy.
The funny thing is these days one does not even need to travel. You can have a meeting online without traveling. Unless of course you want to do other things while you are there. Zambians are being deceived by this UPND govt they elected. By 2026, many will fade due to hunger and your national assets will be sold off to foreigners!!!
Check out one Julius Nyerere. He practiced what he preached
There is a reason why food reserve agency was created, if a govt does not understand the reason then there is a serious problem.
Tanzanian nationals have already started buy maize fields at K550 for the 50kg bag in Northern Province. And knowing my Bemba relatives they cannot wait to sell to FRA & millers at K300 I too would sell to tanzanians just business it’s not charity. This drought situation will compound the problems. We’re sitting here thinking the Northern region which received enough rainfall will feed Zambia time of reckoning is near May Govt will buy nothing. I can fosee more South Africa GMO maize produced to feed animals being eaten as nshima in Zambia
Sir I listened to you speak yesterday I was shocked that when you came to government covid was at its peak…that’s not true sir yes we voted during covid your predecessor took precautions you yourself wore gloves at your inauguration and you continue to wear them when you meet with the common man but not when you meet mukuwa…. now that we have an energy disaster looming can we have rebate on solar and gensets to be zero rated so we mitigate the loss of power?
On this one, the boss is clueless
A government that lacks concern for creating uncertainty is a government that fails to prioritize the well-being and stability of its citizens. Uncertainty can breed fear, hinder economic growth, and undermine trust in public institutions. A government’s responsibility is to provide a sense of security and predictability for its people, fostering an environment where individuals and businesses can thrive. Ignoring the impact of uncertainty demonstrates a lack of foresight and empathy for the challenges faced by the population. In essence, a government that disregards the importance of minimizing uncertainty is neglecting its fundamental duty to serve and protect its citizens.
This is deception. Selling of the food reserves is the disaster! It is not the bad weather which was warned. Now more money has to be spent buying food at high prices. Is this not the reason some people were called Under Five by the late President Mr Sata. Yes we should not use this event for politics but taking responsibility is a cornerstone of democracy and the govt should take responsibility for selling the food under the cover of darkness.
If everyone of you complaining above did something useful in your own capacity everyday, things would be going in the right direction. Unfortunately, everyday you came on this forum to complain and gripe. Take stock of how you are using your own time, mental and physical capacity. Go out there and make it happen. Time wasted is never gained.
We now have two disasters
1. Leadership disaster
2. Looming hunger disaster