The Patriotic Front (PF) party in Southern Province has called for the complete overhaul of Food Reserve Agency management on allegations that it has failed to perform to people’s expectations.
Southern Province PF provincial Youth Secretary, Fred Kanela, said the party in the province is not pleased with the operations of the FRA towards handling and addressing the affairs of farmers that had supplied their maize to the agency.
Mr Kanela requested Health Minister, Joseph Kasonde, who was in Mazabuka district yesterday to launch the newly upgraded Mazabuka Sugar clinic into a hospital that there is need for President Michael Sata to reshuffle management at the FRA come next year.
He charged that as a party in the province, they are against the style of work that the current crop of FRA officials are exhibiting which has led to farmers failing to get their money despite government releasing it on time.
He said the party is concerned and touched with the hardships farmers in the area have been subjected to just for them to get their money, a situation he described as unfortunate.
Mr Kanela told Dr Kasonde, who paid a courtesy call on Mazabuka District Commissioner, Eugene Munyama at his office this morning, that farmers in the area have not been treated properly by FRA officials who have failed to conduct their business in a proper and transparent manner.
He said farmers have in most cases been made to travel long distances from their villages with the assurance from the FRA that they would find their money in the bank but to the contrary the banks would inform them that the money was not there.
Mr Kanela charged that if allowed to continue, farmers in the entire province, who are also voters, will lose confidence in the party, a thing they said as officials of the PF party they will not condone.
And the District Commissioner, Eugene Munyama echoed the sentiments made by the party official, saying the operations of FRA in Mazabuka district at the moment are a thorn in the flesh.
Mr Munyama said at the moment is office is spending more time addressing various grievances from farmers who go to his office to seek his interventions.
He said the current operations of FRA are a let down to the government which he said sourced enough money to pay the farmers on time.
And Dr Kasonde assured that he will address the issue of FRA with his counterpart at the Ministry of Agriculture, Emmanuel Chenda.
ZANIS
Am sure those FRA staffs are part of the UPND MMD chaps.sack them out, seleni tubombeko.
Blame it on the opposition is the new PF policy…hahaha
Mr Kanela charged ” if allowed to continue, farmers in the entire province, who are also voters, will lose confidence in the party, a thing they said as officials of the PF party they will not condone”. THOSE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HAD CONFIDENCE IN THE PF. what confidence are they going to lose…lol
There is no policy. period.
Weren’t you born yet when Fredrick Chiluba was president of Zambia? History repaets itself not by accident. It is by design. That is the only way to punish UPND supporters by letting their maize to rot.
WAS WONDERING WHY THERE ARE LESS COMMENTS.
 ITS ACTUALLY BECAUSE THERE IS NO PF IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE.
Hiseleni hitubombeko
Hey! u dunderhead, think, pfgovt released the money and told farmers to get their money frm banks upon the blanket announcement farmers started visiting the banks only to be informed the negative. Think of the huge task of record preparation at the Ministries of Finance and Agric, and at FRA offices. U pf cadre u dont expect such process done in 30days! Kanela stop politics of demagogues. Banks and FRA are not at fault but careless pf cadres blaming others to gain political manuvour.