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The Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has welcomed the call by Local Government and Housing Minister Brian Chituwo’s call for an investigation into allegations of irregular allocation of plots by the Patriotic front run Lusaka City Council.
TIZ Zambia chapter President Reuben Lifuka said in a statement that allegations of illegal land dealing at the Local authority are of great concern to his organization.
Mr. Lifuka has however called on Dr. Brian Chituwo not to narrow the probe to a few Councils as the allegations are not confined to PF controlled councils alone.
He stated that his organization has received information that alleges that the Kafue District Council which is controlled by the ruling MMD allocated three plots to each councilor in 2010.
Mr. Lifuka further stated that TIZ is aware that the Kafue District Council is alleged to have failed to follow the laid down procedures in allocating plots of which some beneficiaries are media personnel from three prominent media houses.
He added that information reaching his office revealed irregular allocation and non-adherence to laid down procedures in the manner the land in Shantumbu area was allocated where some senior government officials are beneficiaries.
The TIZ president said it is against this background that his organization recommends a much broader probe into the land allocation by councils adding that the problem is nation wide.
Mr. Lifuka has expressed worry that such illegal acts date back to 2005 saying that what is reported may just be a tip of the iceberg.
He has cautioned Dr. Chituwo to handle the matter professionally by avoiding the temptation of pursuing a political agenda which will not help to resolve the problems.
The opposition UPND has expelled Choma Mayor, Mason Chaboya from the party for allegedly working against the party’s interests.
Choma Town Clerk, Enoch Kandingwa told ZANIS in Choma today-Saturday that the local authority has received a letter from the UPND secretariat expelling Mayor Chaboya from the party.
But Choma District Commissioner, Laiven Apuleni has described the expulsion of Mr. Chaboya as a total disregard of the provisions of the local government Act.
Choma Council has already written an urgent letter to the Ministry of Local Government in Lusaka seeking guidance over the matter.
The expulsion letter has highlighted allegations that the mayor’s activities are inimical to the interests of the UPND.
The Choma Municipal Council is dominated by councilors from the UPND.
Silvia Masebo praised by RB for mobilising MMD members ahead of elections
President Rupiah Banda has warned that the ruling party will deal ruthlessly with any person promoting disunity within the MMD.
President Banda said dishonesty has the capacity to weaken the ruling party.
The President sounded the warning when he opened the MMD Lusaka province Conference at Garden Motel today.
He has called on MMD members to promote unity among the party ranks.
The President was also particularly happy that Chongwe Member of Parliament Silvia Masebo who is among the delegates has continued to work hard in the party by mobilising members ahead of this year’s tripartite elections.
He has called on the new executive committee that will be ushered into office to work extra hard in mobilizing new members.
Vice president George Kunda, MMD chairperson Michael Mabenga, Acting National Secretary Chembe Nyangu and several cabinet ministers witnessed the official opening of the MMD provincial Lusaka conference.
MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga said the ruling party is targeting to scoop all the seats in Lusaka province this year.
And President Rupiah Banda has said that the MMD has scored success in sustaining and promoting economic development in the country.
Mr Banda said the country has achieved a lot in the two years that he has been in office.
The President saids there were a lot of infrastructure development programmes in all sectors of the economy across the country.
Mr. Banda also said Government has embarked on an ambitious programme to rehabilitate and construct roads in the country.
President Banda also said Government will continue to support the Farmer In put Support Programme (FISP) to ensure farmers attain self sufficiency countrywide.
President Banda said his Government is determined to ensure that the income and living conditions for small scale farmers are improved.
Mr Banda said he is happy that the Zambian economy has continued to grow significantly.
President Banda said he is particularly impressed that Zambia has been voted the third fastest growing economy in Africa.
He also said Government will ensure that medical equipment is provided with all health facilities.
President Banda also said his Government has continued to construct both basic and high schools across the country
He has cited Mwembeshi High School which is being constructed at a cost of over 21 billion Kwacha and Luangwa High School at cost 46.6 billion kwacha.
Mr Banda said Rufunsa Girls’ High School is being constructed at a cost of K32 billion among other major projects in the Education sector.
Zambia and India have underscored Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a catalyst for social-economic transformation.
The Indian Government has since pledged continued support to Zambia’s quest to ensure that ICT is made available and affordable to the general population of the country.
Communication and Transport Minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said it was Government’s intention to ensure that the citizenry including those in rural areas were brought into the orbit of ICT as this was key to stimulating socio-economic development.
Prof. Lungwangwa was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Indian Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath in New Delhi, India yesterday.
This is according to a Press Statement released to ZANIS by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian High Commission in India, Bwalya Nondo.
Prof Lungwangwa observed that the presence of AIRTEL in Zambia, with a big market- share, was already making a positive impact on the country’s communication need and looked forward to the company expanding further into rural areas.
He said Zambia was making great strides in socio-economic development and was inspired by India’s Information Technology acumen from which Zambia has a lot to learn.
Speaking earlier, Indian Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath extolled the warm relations existing between India and Zambia with a pledge to further strengthen the bonds through increased economic collaboration.
Prof. Lungwangwa was accompanied during the courtesy call by Zambia’s Ambassador to India, Brig. Gen Allan Kalebuka.
Prof. Lungwangwa is in India to attend a Commonwealth Communication Conference.
The British Council and Junior Achievement Zambia (JA) has launched an education programme in six selected districts across Zambia dubbed; the 2011 Enterprise Challenge for Schools.
Chingola, Kabwe, Kitwe, Lusaka, Ndola and Siavonga are some of the districts that will benefit from the Enterprise Challenge programme.
This is according to a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday and signed by British Council Country Director Donna McGovwan.
Mr. McGovwan said the programme was aimed at promoting skills development and innovation by encouraging closer links between education, employers and policy makers.
He explained that it was imperative that young people in the country use their skills in enterprising and innovative ways to ultimately increase their employment opportunities.
The Enterprise Challenge is a programme that encourages skills development and innovation among high school pupils to ignite their entrepreneurial aspirations and improve their future employability.
Under this programme, selected schools are expected to participate in district competitions culminating in the finals to be held in Lusaka in March this year.
And Junior Achievement Zambia Executive Director Teddy Nyansulu expressed happiness that Zambia has joined the countries that are implementing the Enterprise Challenge after Europe.
Mr. Nyansulu said the project was a noble one especially for formal sector jobs as well as increasing the scope of self reliance.
“I would like to thank the British Council for involving us in this project. JA has partnered with the British Council in similar projects in most European countries. I am glad that Zambia has joined the countries that are implementing the Enterprise Challenge,” he said.
JA world-wide is a world class organisation committed to providing business education programmes for young people of all ages and is currently operating in 123 countries world-wide.
In Africa, JA operates in 21 countries among them Angola, Botswana, Bukina-Fasso, Congo DR, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Namibia and Nigeria, South Africa including Zambia.
Government has put in place minimum standards for child care facilities in the country in line with the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child.
Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary Sherry Thole says the standards are meant to guide service providers on what facilities and programmes to devise for children while protecting and acknowledging their rights.
Ms. Thole said this in a speech read for her by Community Development Director of Human Resource Lameck Kanyuka at the Trauma management training graduation ceremony in Lusaka today.
Ms. Thole said the minimum standards of care were developed in order to enhance child protection.
She commended the Zambia Association of Child Workers for their commitment to collaborative efforts in providing training through the Chicago School of Psychology and Save Africa’s Children of the United States of America.
And Associate Professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in the United States of America, Dr. Tiffany Masson noted that the training assists child and youth care workers in assessing, recognising and effectively handling children who have experienced trauma.
Meanwhile, Zambia Association of Child Trauma Management Director Felix Mwale said the main focus of the training programme was to provide effective counselling and healing opportunities for most children affected by traumatic situations.
Zesco United’s friendly match against Sudan scheduled for today has been cancelled.
The friendly match was due to be played at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka but was called-off on the eve of the game just 24 hours after Sudan arrived in the country for a week-long training camp.
Zesco secretary Justin Mumba confirmed the games cancellation but could not give any further details as to when or whether the match will be played.
The possibility of the game being played on Sunday is out due to the national day of mourning for former UNIP minister Amok Phiri who passed away last week.
Meanwhile, Sudan are holding their training camp in Zambia ahead of hosting the 2011 CHAN tournament from February 4 t0 25.
The CHAN is a biannual CAF tournament for home-based player’s that enters its second edition after Cote d’Ivoire staged the first event in 2009 that was won by DR Congo.
And Sudan coach Mohamed Abdella Ahmed said on Friday that he was looking forward to a good training camp.
Sudan are also scheduled to face the Zambia Under-23 team when the side comes back from Harare after their All-Africa Games qualifier against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Ndola residents have expressed happiness over the pace at which construction works were progressing at the 40, 000 seat capacity stadium in Ndola on the Copperbelt.
ZANIS Ndola reports that the residents are happy that the stadium had taken shape and was promising to be a show piece in the city.
Caleb Matafwali noted that once completed the stadium would not only add beauty to the city but would also act as a motivational factor to would be soccer stars.
He explained that the Chinese company constructing the stadium had exhibited professionalism and credibility hence must be supported by all Zambian people who wanted to see development in the country.
Matafwali castigated critics of Chinese investment in the country saying that developmental projects should not be subjected to political criticism.
He said President Banda should be praised for continuing on with Chinese developmental projects initiated by the late President Levy Mwanawasa adding that he should snub cheap political interference from opposition political parties that criticised Chinese investment.
Another resident, Mutale Chilufya observed that the construction of the state of the art stadium in Ndola would help revamp failing soccer standards in the province.
Recently, the Chinese company constructing the new Stadium in Ndola, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company (AFECC), Vice- President Cheng Ju revealed that construction works for the stadium would be completed in July this year.
Construction works on the Ndola Stadium began in August 2009.
And the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) funded rehabilitation works on roads in Ndola has reached an advanced stage with a number of roads already done. Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Villie Lombabya has disclosed.
Mr Lombanya told ZANIS Ndola in an interview that the contractor, Konike Construction Company was on course with road rehabilitation being carried out in Ndola and Kitwe at a total cost of K133.4 billion.
He explained that the contractor had left some portions unattended to because they had to seek advice from concerned utility companies due to the presence of underground cables on those portions.
[pullquote]And the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) funded rehabilitation works on roads in Ndola has reached an advanced stage with a number of roads already done. Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Villie Lombabya has disclosed.[/pullquote]
“Yes for those patches that the contractor has not done, they are meant to give an opportunity to utility companies to liaise with the contractor on how best to progress on areas where there are underground pies, cables and sewer pipes,” he said.
Ndola residents had earlier expressed concern over the pattern in which the contractor was carrying out the works.
The residents complained that instead of carrying out continuous works from point A to Point B the contractor was busy leaving some portions of the roads unattended to, especially corner points.
And in a separate interview, Ndola City Council Public Relations Officer Ester Banda, said the contractor had started working on roads with good drainage systems while for those that did not have good drainages, the company would start with drainages first and subsequently roads.
Ms Banda named the roads under rehabilitation as Makoli, Kaunda, Livingstone, Matero, Zambia, Bukasu and Independence way
Government has challenged the Zambia Daily Mail Newspapers to increase circulation of its paper and improve on news packaging.
Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Sam Phiri said the company should deepen its reporting techniques and effectively analyse issues happening in society.
Dr. Phiri said the paper should also reflect diversity of opinion in its reporting but stick to its mandate as a public media.
He advised the paper to equally help publicise Government programmes and agendas.
He stated that there should be a clear distinction between Government and political parties adding that the mandate of the paper should be in line with policy of Government of the day.
He further called on the company to work in line with their motto “Without Fear or Favour” in their daily reporting of news.
Dr. Phiri said this when he conducted a familiarisation tour of the Zambia Daily Mail in Lusaka yesterday.
And speaking earlier, Zambia Daily Mail Managing Director, Evans Milimo said there had been a decline in circulation figures because of tense competition from other media including newspapers, Television and Community radio stations.
Mr. Milimo nevertheless, explained that the acquisition of a new printing press which was launched last year would help improve sales as the paper would be reaching the market on time.
He disclosed that the Zambia Daily Mail Newspapers had also undertaken a rural subscription market survey which revealed that there was market.
He also disclosed that the company was facing serious financial challenges which are affecting its liquidity position.
Mr. Milimo further asked Government to consider giving the company about K10 billion for recapitalisation.
He also appealed to Government to consider writing off the statutory debt which the company owes the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA), and the Workers Compensation Fund.
Labour minister Austin Liato (l) and his counterpart from Energy kenneth Konga
Government is constructing a new high school in Kaoma district in the Western Province.
And Government has embarked on a rehabilitation exercise of dilapidated feeder roads and several other developmental projects in the district.
MMD Kaoma Central Member of Parliament (MP) Austin Liato who confirmed this to ZANIS in an interview thanked Government for releasing the funds towards the new school and road infrastructure development.
Mr. Liato named the new school as Kehema High school. This brings the number of high schools in the area to two. He named the other school as Kaoma High school which was the first to be built in the 1950s.
The MP said the two learning institutions would help reduce illiteracy levels in Kaoma district and urged parents in his area to take advantage of the schools by sending their children there.
Mr. Liato, who is also Labour and Social Security Services Minister, expressed happiness that Zambia is on track to attaining the United Nations (UN) 2015 Millennium Development Goal number two in the education sector.
He commended the Ministry of Education for bringing education closer to the people as evidenced by the number of new schools being constructed alongside rehabilitation of old ones to improve the learning environment especially in rural areas.
The Minister said Government is in a hurry to develop and improve the education sector to make it more conducive for learners.
Mr. Liato named feeder roads being rehabilitated as Kangolongolo, Kashamu Kaolombe and Mipongo.
He said a good road network is vital to accelerating development.
File: Education minister Dora Siliya visits the poor in her constituency in Petauke
ALL is in place for today’s MMD Lusaka Province conference, the ninth and last to usher a new provincial executive committee into office and set the tone for the national convention.
And MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said January 22’s provincial conference will be free of violence, in the same way the other eight conferences have been conducted.
She said the MMD is pleased that the provincial conferences have been successful and this is what has continued to separate the MMD from other political parties.
“We feel galvanised, and we are ready to continue telling the people what we have done… The MMD government is a working government and we have a track record on that,” she said.
Ms Siliya said the MMD does not want to be associated with violence because its principle is to take development and good governance to the people.
The conference is scheduled to take place in Lusaka at Garden House Motel on Mumbwa road and not Kafue as earlier announced.
MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu, who released the conference programme on January 21, said since the Lusaka conference will be the last one, it will determine the electoral college for the national convention whose traditional venue has been the Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe.
Mr Nyangu said after january 22’s provincial conference, members will now start thinking about the positions they would want to contest for which they will be able to campaign when the date for the convention is set.
He said the Lusaka conference will also have to determine the date for the national convention which will be announced in due course.
According to the conference programme, delegates are supposed to arrive at the MMD secretariat at 07:00 hours for accreditation before they assemble in the conference hall at 08:30 hours.
The roll call will be conducted at 09:00 hours prior to the arrival of President Banda and his entourage. At about 10:15 hours, provincial chairman William Banda will welcome the President and all the delegates.
National chairman, Michael Mabenga, will then make brief remarks before inviting President Banda to officially open the conference.
Minister of Local Government and Housing Brian Chituwo
THE Lusaka City Council (LCC) has been suspended with immediate effect.
The council will remain suspended for 90 days and Government has appointed Solomon Finandi Sakala, the Copperbelt Provincial Local Government officer as the administrator.
Minister of Local Government and Housing, Brian Chituwo announced the suspension of the council yesterday following reports that the local authority has been involved in some land allocation scams.
Dr Chituwo said at a media briefing that Government has decided to suspend LCC to pave way for investigations into the alleged illegal land allocation.
The Lusaka City Council has been accused of illegally allocating land to itself without following the law governing the allocation of land.
Out of 102 plots, the councillors got 45 plots, 10 plots were given to the Mayor while the deputy Mayor got five plots and members of the public were only allocated 11 plots.
[pullquote]“In order to understand the matter, my office requested for a written report from the local authority. The report forwarded to my office by the council does not give much detail on who allocated the plots and how the beneficiaries were picked,” Dr Chituwo said.[/pullquote]
Dr Chituwo said he would soon appoint a committee to audit the allocation of land in Lilayi.
He said the piece of land in Lilayi that is alleged to have been shared among the Mayor, his deputy and councillors is titled and should have been advertised. Dr Chituwo said the council did not even bother to seek authority from the ministry as stipulated by law.
“Therefore, it has become necessary for the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to suspend the Lusaka City Council in accordance with the Local Government Act, Cap 281 of the laws of Zambia to pave way for investigations into the Lilayi land allocation,” he said.
Dr Chituwo said the council should have realised the importance of seeking authority from his office to allocate plots on the piece of land in question. He said his office should have authorised the council to deal with the piece of land in terms of transfer, disposal or even in the mode of exchange or swapping.
Dr Chituwo said it is the understanding of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing that any proposed allocation of land should be done through the Plans, Works and Development Committee.
“In order to understand the matter, my office requested for a written report from the local authority. The report forwarded to my office by the council does not give much detail on who allocated the plots and how the beneficiaries were picked,” Dr Chituwo said.
He said the council failed to explicitly state how it decided to allocate councilors one plot each.
The Minister wondered whether it has been the trend that the Mayor and his councillors should have a lion’s share of plots each time there was a piece of land earmarked for allocation.
“I as Minister of Local Government and Housing hereby announce the suspension of the council for 90 days through the statutory instrument number 11 of 2011and appoint Mr Solomon Finandi Sakala, who is Copperbelt Provincial Local Government Officer as administrator,” Dr Chituwo said.
[pullquote]
“As a council, we presented our report and we maintain that whatever was done, we followed the law. The general public will judge us after the investigations,” Mr Chisenga said.[/pullquote]
But Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga has maintained that the allocation of land in Lilayi was done in accordance with the law.
Mr Chisenga said the public will have to judge the council after all the investigations have been done and the report on the investigations released.
He said the council welcomes the investigations as it has encountered investigations in the past and all officers found wanting had been dealt with according to the law.
“As a council, we presented our report and we maintain that whatever was done, we followed the law. The general public will judge us after the investigations,” Mr Chisenga said.
I am impressed by the clarity of Dr. Emmanuel Ngulube’s article on the issue relating to the taxation of mining operations in Zambia entitled “The Rationale of the Current Mining Fiscal Regime in Zambia,” which was published recently in the January-March 2011 issue of the ZIPPA Journal. Among other things, Dr. Ngulube, who is currently Permanent Secretary (Budget and Economic Affairs) in the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, has provided the following information:
“The current mining tax regime [in Zambia] gives an effective tax rate of 47 percent and compares very well with other resource-endowed countries, such as Angola (52.7 percent), Mozambique (52.1 percent), Botswana (50.6 percent), Namibia (47.9 percent), Tanzania (45 percent), South Africa (42.9 percent), and Chile (42.6 percent).”
Currently, mining companies operating in Zambia are taxed as follows:
(a) 3% mineral royalty on income (that is, earnings) from copper sales;
(b) 30% corporate profit tax on profits declared after deducting costs and mineral royalties;
(c) 15% variable profit tax on all taxable income (that is, profits) earned that exceed 8% of copper sales;
(d) Deduction of 25% of expenditures on machinery and equipment from taxable income per year once a mining project starts operating;
(e) 15% income tax on foreign companies and expatriate consultants providing services to locally based mining companies; and
(f) Mining companies cannot deduct from taxable income on a profitable mining site its capital expenditure on another mining site.
The on-going contentious debate concerning the taxation regime for mining companies would have been concluded by now if the highlights provided in Dr. Ngulube’s article were widely disseminated through private and public media institutions for open public debate. In fact, the government should have gauged the views of the general public before committing the nation to the terms of the contract.
Anyway, what would one expect from government leaders who apparently believe that Zambians are incapable of comprehending such matters? Expecting the government to solicit for views from the general public is, therefore, an illusion in a country where government leaders’ preoccupation is being on the campaign trail demonizing and castigating their political opponents, preaching about the superiority of their political party, and seeking recognition for their “remarkable accomplishments.”
Meanwhile, Zambians have continued to be hopeful that their government will open up the Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), and the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in order to make it possible for all segments of Zambian society to articulate their needs, demands and expectations through them. Their desire in this regard is eloquently captured by the following excerpt from The Post Online of January 14, 2011 in an article entitled “Why ban phone-in programs on the Barotse Agreement?”:
“Citizens of a democracy live with the conviction that through the open exchange of ideas and opinions, truth will eventually win out over falsehood, the values of others will be better understood, areas of compromise more clearly defined, and the path of progress opened.”
Whither my beloved country?
Postscript:
Winning elections seems to be the ruling party’s primary objective, as evidenced by President Rupiah Banda’s commitment of the country to a US$53 million loan from EX-IM Bank of China to purchase mobile clinics, which have just started arriving in the country. It has now become clear that President Banda is not only stubborn and arrogant; he also lacks good judgment. For how can a leader who has good judgment completely ignore the voices of so many citizens who were against the purchase of the mobile hospitals?
Clearly, the mobile clinics or hospitals are likely to last only a few years, given the poor state of roads in rural areas. Also, there are a lot of rural communities today where there are no motorable roads. Moreover, it is hard to imagine how the mobile clinics will be used – would they be driven around in rural communities on a regular basis in the hope of finding a sick person? Besides, the recurrent costs of maintaining the mobile hospitals will be prohibitive after the expiration of the 2-year contract with the supplier, that is, China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation. And how will the government prevent pilferage, and the potential for cohabitation and/or marriage breakdowns among nurses and doctors who will be assigned to work away from their families for lengthy periods of time?
It would have been acceptable if the loan was intended to be used on the following: (a) provision of free healthcare for all Zambians; (b) construction of more permanent healthcare facilities nationwide and housing units for health personnel; (c) provision of adequate medicines, ambulatory services and medical equipment; (d) financing of research designed to find cures for HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases; and (e) hiring, retention and training of health personnel.
Cholera has broken out in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province and one woman is reported to have died while 31 people have been admitted to Sinamalima clinic.
Both Sinazongwe acting Commissioner (DC) Sokoloku Daka and Malima ward Councillor confirmed the development to ZANIS.
Mr. Daka said the woman died last night and among the samples that were taken to the laboratory four were confirmed to have cholera.
He said Sinazongwe District Medical Officer Dr Elias Chipandwe and his team have since rushed to the area to contain the outbreak.
The Acting District Commissioner said an emergency meeting would be convened to address the situation before cases spread to Sinazeze area.
Mr. Daka however, said it was a challenge to access areas where cholera had broken out because of Sikalamba stream and Nangombe which had no bridges.
Malima ward Councillor Fisher Zimana disclosed that cases were coming from Bbune village, Sinalulungwe, and Manyonga village in Malima area.
Mr. Zimana said the dead woman hailed from Manyonga village in Malima area.
He said some people were carrying their cholera patients on their backs owing to the impassable roads, a situation he feared would increase the number of cases.
Over 2000 farmers belonging to 38 cooperatives in Mansa in Luapula Province have not yet received Urea and D compound fertiliser.
Mansa District Agriculture Coordinator (DACO) David Kandanla told ZANIS that farmers who have not received Urea and D compound fertiliser are from 38 cooperatives in the district.
Mr. Kandanla said 1,988 farmers in 34 cooperatives, and 131 in other four cooperatives, have not yet received Urea and D compound fertiliser respectively.
He attributed the late distribution of fertiliser to a Mpika based supplier whom he said had been delaying loading of the commodity.
Mr. Kandanla said contracted transporters equally complained that the named supplier did not attend to them urgently leading to the delay in loading and delivering the fertiliser.
He said the delay to attend to transporters in time slowed down the delivery process.
The DACO further said the delay in fertiliser distribution had also been caused by a shortage of transporters adding that the same transporters who were supposed to collect fertiliser from Mpika have been contracted by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
He said transporters in most cases load maize from Mansa, go to Chambishi and then later travel to Mpika via Kapiri Mposhi.
The DACO said it was regrettable that there was a delay in fertilizer distribution adding that this could impact negatively on crop yield.
He explained that the initial target for the agriculture authorities in the district was to finish distributing farm inputs by November 29 last year.
Mr. Kandanla said although more than 300 agriculture cooperatives have received fertiliser, it was still undesirable that 34 have not received top dressing fertiliser while four cooperatives have also not received D compound fertiliser.
Meanwhile, panic has gripped affected farmers from 38 cooperatives which have not received fertiliser.
The farmers said they have started panicking because the crops were already showing signs of poor growth because of lack of urea fertiliser.
They said Government had repeatedly challenged farmers to work hard but said their efforts were being frustrated by delayed fertiliser distribution.
One of the farmers Fredson Mwiinga complained that the Officers from the Department of Agriculture in the district have not explained to the farmers why they were not distributing the fertiliser.
They said most of them came from far flung farming areas situated in Chembe, Matanda, Kundamfumu, Kalyongo, Malama, and Luo, among many others.
Pascal Kunda, another farmer complained that farmers from these rural areas have been travelling to the fertiliser shed hoping to be given fertiliser but to no avail.
Mr. Kunda said some farmers have been in Mansa for three days now adding that there was still no sign that fertiliser would be distributed.
The farmers appealed to Government to intervene and ensure that the 2,000 affected farmers got their fertiliser and participated in the production of another maize bumper harvest.
