Friday, March 29, 2024

ZAF to start airlifting relief food in Chavuma, Zambezi

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The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has disclosed that the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) is next week expected to commence airlifting relief food to affected Zambezi and Chavuma districts once logistics are completed.

DMMU National Coordinator Dominiciano Mulenga, and Zambezi and Chavuma District Commissioners Mr. Absolom Luwaile and Mr. Frobisher Fulayi respectively have confirmed the development to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Mulenga said the airlifting of food was supposed to have been conducted over the long weekend but that the process has to be subjected to a tender committee for approval.

He said the amount involved in the exercise was huge and beyond the Permanent Secretary’s powers to authorize the issuance of the money.

The DMMU National Coordinator said the Unit has already obtained a quotation from the ZAF whose amount needed to be approved by the tender committee.

He disclosed that the unit is hopeful of commencing the exercise this week once the amount has been approved.

He said at the moment the unit has about 200 metric tonnes of relief food in stock at Zambezi District Boma which was preposition last year for distribution as need arose in district .

About 3500 X 50 kg bags of maize are to be airlifted to affected areas in both Zambezi and Chavuma districts.

Yesterday, Zambezi West Mp Charles Kakoma implored government to airlift relief food which he said has been marooned at Zambezi boma.

The Mp said a lot of people in his constituency would need immediate relief food as they have lost most of their produce to floods.

And Zambezi District Commissioner Absalom Luwaile said about 1140 X 50 kg would be airlifted to about seven areas that have been identified in Zambezi West .

The affected areas are Kayenge , Nyatikai, Matongo, Milamboi , Chakuvu Mwange and Nyawanda.

Mr. Luwaile said the district, in collaboration with the DMMU, would however take relief food by road to other places and other consignment of relief food by water to Zambezi East constituency.

He explained that the areas to receive relief food in the exercise are those that did not benefit under the World Food Programme (WFP) exercise.

Mr. Luwaile, who did not give the figures of people affected by the floods, stated that Zambezi West constituency was the most effected in the district.

He disclosed that the water levels in both Zambezi and Chavuma rivers have continued to raise, adding that the plains of both rivers have been covered up.

He has since appealed for more medical kits to be supplied in health centres so as to prevent the possible out breaks of water borne diseases.

And Chavuma DC Frobisher Fulayi, said about 2500 x 50kg of maize would be airlifted to the west bank that has since been cut off.

Mr Fulayi said the district has established four centres that will feed surrounding areas that need assistance.

He however stated that the district has about eleven metric tonnes ready for distribution which was left behind by the Wood Food Programme (WFP).

27 COMMENTS

  1. What do these guys do, they are paid for doing nothing, i think we should bring back state farms and make them work on them, there is no war in zambia, i bet they have even forgotten how to use their weapons and all their guns can not even fire coz they are rusty and old.

  2. By Times Reporter

    SECOND Republican president, Frederick Chiluba, who has been attending his regular medical review in South Africa is expected to return home today.
    Dr Chiluba’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Mwamba who confirmed the development from South Africa yesterday said Dr Chiluba was expected back this afternoon.
    Mr Mwamba said that the former president who is accompanied by his wife, Regina, would arrive at 13:00 hours after his doctors recorded a steady progress on his recovery.
    “Dr Chiluba returns tomorrow to Zambia. He has completed his medical review. His doctors are happy with his steady progress,” Mr Mwamba said.
    Dr Chiluba left Zambia two weeks ago for his medical review conce

  3. What does it mean that Chiluba has completed his Medical Review? Does it mean its the end of Chiluba’s foriegn trips?

  4. FJT has a knack of fainting when he sees a judge. Bring ambulances and his doctors to the high court for him. Lets have this case wraped up.

  5. JB
    I think you have no right to complain about what the govt is doing, you never voted. The Zambian people who voted are the ones who can complain. If the people have problems with salaries, let them complain since they voted. If the govt wants to impose certain laws, its there job since they won the elections. If ZAF isn’t doing there job, so what, the current govt campaigned and they won because majority wanted them and so if the govt wants to keep em, they can because they won the elections. If you think you can do better, go back to Zambia, campaign and win the elections, then you can impose your rules and laws.

  6. Great for ZAF to be doing something. But why do they have such puny planes when there is need to move thousands of tons of food to affected areas? Why not go for heavy lift cargo planes like C-130? KK did this in the days of UDI and we had everything we needed. These guys in the muny grz buy Chinese toys and fool everyone that we have planes! For a land-locked country to have no heavylift capability is a shameless act of imbecility.

  7. There you go again” These guys in the muny grz buy Chinese toys and fool everyone that we have planes! Is china the source really? Do they use such tinny planes when they have 1.3 billion people?

  8. Stupid. Just because its Lundas and Luvales affected, you even take time to fly relief food. If it were Mbala or Bemba land, relief food would have been supplied the same day. *****s. You are tribal. To hell with your relief food. we shall receive from Angola

  9. #8 is acting completely useless. Are those qualifications really yours?

  10. #10 Cikala. Iam not like you with Matero qualifications which you have just made up. Mapolo yako. You are the same bastards who cant give the people of Zambezi relief food on time. People are dying and you tell them food next week! You foool. We shall get relief from Angola.

  11. Sometimes I tend to wonder why I even contribute to this blog with such useless bloggers. Its only me and # 9 warm hearted who make sense.

  12. Prof. Waminga i understand your frustration regarding the delivery of maize to (i assume) your place of origin. The food crisis affects all zambians and should not be reduced to the levels of tribalism and racism. im sure were you are in oxford USA you must have realised that tribalism/racism are some of the worlds most ugly evils and should be removed were ever the raise their ugly heads. Blaming bembas has become a habit for certain tribal groups whenever there is a problem! We are not to blame for the starving people in your area! Maybe you are all lazy! In Angola things are not so rosy either. i doubt if your cousins there will help apart from maybe a gun and some crutchers for you!

  13. 16 haha I like that my brother. you guys are a priviledged bourgeois stratum. cheers

  14. Insults are a sign of an evil mind, fighting each other will not solve anything. The issue by #1 JB is interesting because every year the gvnmt is spending money to train ZAF officers/ army officers who are some of them dying in numbers with suspected HIV coz they get good money, have time to waste coz they have little job(i don’t mean HIV is only for a specific group) and have good conditions of service.Why can’t they reduce the frequency of training to once in 5 years and divert the money to train more nurses who are being over worked esp in rural areas where the ratio is 1:60 patients,normal is suppose to be 1:1-3 or phase ZAF and intergrate their training skills in army curriculum.

  15. Fellow blogs, lets just ignore anybody here who is insulting, tribal, racists, bcoz if you continue replying to them, we will not notice the different between who is fool or who is not!

  16. When I see your credential #20 I get interested in your contribution,coming from a legal mind! But when I read what you write,I see sense in your contributions,further I see you unhappy and use strong language(insult) Is there any problem? Has someone done somthing nasty to you? for you to be so upset?

    You are a good person and I enjoy you coments ! but I just get sad to hear you mixiing up well aticulated contributions with insults!Iam really your fan! I am ever on this blog enjoying comments! I am trying to write a book about Zambia,coz I love the country!Sory If I offended you.

  17. Prof. Waminga what do you mean by “Bourgeois stratum” In 1964 didn’t all zambian have equal opportunities to progress? Haven’t we all suffered equally? As the saying goes “All MEN ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS” We bembas have had to work hard to be where we are. We have archieved this by being open and welcomining to all tribes.You will agree with me that to marry a bemba woman is not a difficult thing to do. i am sure your wife/girlfriend is bemba! They know how to take care of intellectuals like you! Now some other tribes are so closed in that i have begun to suspect in breeding and incestuous marriages are taking place(Lozi’s) We need to do some research on this issue.

  18. What do you expect a grz that has no brain to do? this GRZ is busy appeasing North-Westerners because they are being raped by all those investors. Stealing of natural resources to benefit Levy and Mutati is the main game.

    As they are tired of stealing from government departments and investing in LuSE, these guys are now into natural resources.

  19. Prof Mutengo Waminga, you have a point. And don’t let anybody inhibit your expressions. You are free to express yourself fully.
    When they insult , it’s not an insult and when you insult it’s an insult. This forum is full of *****s so trying to make sense with them does not help. Just speak your mind out till people learn to respect others then will be at the same wave length.
    See the next comments and you will agree with me.

  20. some bloggers are complete *****s.You cannot classify a people as being lazy when you have been told that the cause of lack of food is floods. And why bring Bemba women in the argument. They are not special.Bemba women are like any other women in Zambia. I am not a Lozi but I strongly feel Victimised Bemba #22 must apologise to the Lozis for that uncalled for comment.Surely thieves cannot tell other people that they aare where they are because of genuine hard work. May be they have been assisted by the “Natola fye” sydrome.

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