When the UPND formed government, it decided to export maize at the Food Reserve Agency from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons leaving Zambia a sitting duck on food security.
Lusaka – Opposition Citizens First leader, Hon. Harry Kalaba, has charged that the new dawn government is now fully constipated with power looking at the level of arrogance it is exhibiting when responding to critical issues of national importance such as the shortage of mealie meal.
He was reacting to the statement by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Reuben Mutolo Phiri, that Zambians should start eating cassava and sorghum meals instead of complaining about the shortage and the high cost of maize breakfast mealie meal in various parts of the country.
Hon. Kalaba equally referred to the recent statement by Vice President WK Mutale Nalumango advising Zambians to start eating roller mealie meal instead of complaining about unaffordable prices of breakfast mealie meal.
“Today the country is experiencing shortages of both breakfast and roller meal and the Minister of Agriculture has backtracked on the advice by Vice President WK Mutale Nalumango’s that we start feeding on roller meal. He is, instead, suggesting that citizens should start eating cassava and sorghum meals which are not even commonly cultivated in Zambia. This is a clear indication that President Hichilema and his UPND administration don’t care about the welfare and wellbeing of Zambians but instead they just serve their own interests,” he lamented.
“There is no way government officials can be issuing such careless statements to their citizens who gave them the power and authority they are using to issue such sentiments without knowing that it is the same people who are being oppressed today who managed to put them where they are enjoying free everything today,” he further explained, stating that it is a wake up call to each and every Zambian citizen to open up one’s eyes and reflect on what tomorrow should be.
And President Hichilema has admitted the shortage of mealie meal in the country and has since convened consultative meetings with both government and private sector officials.
“In response to the mealie meal shortage affecting certain regions of the country, we have convened multiple consultative meetings with both government and private sector officials at a high level. We acknowledge the seriousness of the current situation, particularly with the shortage of the commodity in some neighbouring countries,” reads in part a statement on his Facebook page.
“An emergency response has been activated to address this specific situation. We anticipate that the measures implemented will improve the situation and we will closely monitor developments on the ground. It is our appeal to the citizens to uphold the interventions implemented by the government and maintain lawful and orderly conduct,” the statement continues.
Also Read: UPND manifesto on the agric sector – What we need to do!
But New Heritage Party president, Ms. Chishala Kateka, has described President Hichilema’s management of national affairs as baffling. In her official statement over the shortage of the staple food, Ms. Kateka says despite having been very vocal and relentless in attacking the Patriotic Front regime when they were in opposition, President Hichilema’s regime seems to be rather rudderless, committing political blunder after blunder.
“Take the issue of agriculture and mealie meal. Firstly, they make a hash of things and bumble their way through the provision of agricultural inputs – not forgetting the single sourcing of fertilizer suppliers, who then fail to meet the set deadline. They, then, export maize held by the Food Reserve Agency and categorically declare, in Parliament, that they will not stop exporting the same due to the fact that Zambia is food secure,” reads in part, the statement.
When the UPND formed government, it decided to export maize at the Food Reserve Agency from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons leaving Zambia a sitting duck on food security.
Also Read: UPND and its baffling performance! – Chishala Kateka.
During the previous regime PF National Chairperson, Samuel Mukupa, wondered why Zambians were not switching to Kandolo (sweet potatoes) and other alternative foods if they could not afford bread and mealie meal, drawing fierce criticism from the, then, opposition UPND.
In an interview, Mukupa called for productivity in the country and advised Zambians to develop alternative lifestyles.
“We need a new economic order, it is not Zambia, it is everywhere. And Covid-19 has not been kind to the entire world. Things will no longer be the same. Unless we begin to produce, the prices for chicken and vegetables will not go down unless we all produce. If we all produce Kandolo (sweet potatoes) then obviously there will be an issue of economic balance,” he said.
In retrospect, President Hichilema and his government seem to be in agreement with Mr. Mukupa.
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