Acting President Rupiah Banda says government is working on ways that would enable people especially in rural areas to move out of extremes poverty.
And Mr. Banda has rededicated himself to the service of the Zambian people once elected as republic president in the forthcoming presidential by-election.
He said government was extremely concerned about the high levels of poverty in the country especially among the rural populace.
Currently, he said Zambia’s poverty levels stands at 64 percent , of which 52 percent are people in extreme poverty.
He said one of the measures government would put in place to address poverty was through reduction of fuel prices.
Mr. Banda who is also republican Vice President said government would reduce taxes on fuel which would consequently reduce the pump prices of fuel.
ZANIS staffer Kaluwe Hanzuki reports that Mr. Banda explained the measure would enable Zambian increase their production in various sectors of economy.
He further observed , this would enable people in rural areas to purchase fuel for their tractors and harmer mills and other machineries that are powered by petrol and diesel.
Mr. Banda was speaking yesterday at Vulamu Koko in Chief Mbangombe‘s area where government through the Ministry of Community Development and Social service donated about 500 by 25 kgs bags of mealie meal and 1500 kg of sugar.
He stated that governmment’s increased numbers of beneficiaries from 120 000 to 220 000 households under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) this year was another measure which is aimed at reducing poverty in rural areas.
Mr. Banda also said government has increased subsidies on Fertilizer from 60 to 75 percent .
He further added that government created the Social Cash Transfer for the aged people of about 50 years and above in order to alleviate extreme poverty among elderly in the country.
And Mr. Banda has said he would dedicate his presidency to serving Zambians if elected as the country’s president in the fourth coming presidential by election.
He said Zambians should chose a leader whose programmes are centred on the welfare of the people.
He said his administration shall endeavour to continue to improving various sectors of the economy that contribute to improving people’s welfare.
Mr. Banda has since urged the people in Eastern Province to vote for a democratic party whose candidate was chosen through democratic process.
And Community Development Minister Catherine Namungala said the social cash transfer scheme was aimed at enabling elderly people afford basic needs.
Ms. Namungala said the scheme has enabled elderly people to reclaim their lost dignity in society since they are no longer fully dependant on the children and grand children.
She disclosed that government has this year set aside K10 billion for the pilot project which is currently being administered in 5 districts of Zambia.
And a beneficiary , Sokolani Phiri 69, said the scheme has enhance peace and unity among families in rural areas.
The Programme is sponsored by Germany Technical Cooperation of Zambia (GTZ) and republic of Zambia , but the Department for International Development (DFID), Care International, UNICEF , Irish Aid contributed towards the scheme which is expected to be implemented in all 72 districts by 2013 .
ZANIS/KSH/MK/ENDS.
I hope these people understand that they won’t receive free commodities once you are in power. Mention that please or maybe you plan on reintroducing coupons ( Kaunda’s tried that)?
We know you when there is an election, so many fake promises which you don’t not even honour when voted in office this year kuyabebele VIVA pabwato/viva HH
Campaignin thru this ka…
HH WABOLA November 2008, Zambia FORWARD.
“Vote UPND’s HH for economic independence, a NEW and JUST Zambia. Where the Zambia people will move with their heads high as the PRIDE of this World after 30 or so years of hardships under the leadership of cold-heartless crooks and thieves whose education can hardly be traced.
Vote for educated people like HH and RB as opposed to those without tangible classroom background for EDUCATION showed that educated Americans put men on the Moon.
Yeah right, like I’m working on ways to get to the moon in less than 3 days. Cheap politicking. See the way he’s handing out money. All politician do this once in 5 years. 500 bags of maize meal. What a cheap jackass. We are only interested in seeing STEADY DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRESS.
This HH has come hot in Lusaka.I doubt if Sata will have an impact.
Sata forced to leave the stage at a rally in Choongwe today as he continuously coughed and chocking.Chitalu Sampa carried on with the rally as Sata was led off the stage to the vehicles as villagers walked away.
#7.Thats sad.Please tell us more.Ba Sata should stop these campaigns if he wants
Cont/: to live longer.His family sur
elections are near now we hearing about alliviating poverty!!! RB shut yo trap!! and go back to chipata
#Hon. Sata must understand that he must not stress himself too much. 30 days + 16 days of campaigning is not good enough a short time for Sata to keep abreast with his struggling body and age health-wise.
Free advice for Hon. Sata and PF (Poor Finishers), please relax Sata’s campaign schedule so that he copes with those who are very fit for this presidential by-election race.
“Wina azalila, wina azaseka.” Ready or not, the race has started and it will be long and hard. But lets not be fainted hearted, for it will soon – 30/10/2008 – be over.
Voting for Sata will ensure another vacancy in the position of President of the Rep. due to mental incapacity this time around. Whereas voting for RB there is a likelihood of the position being vacant due to death arising from a heart attack caused by viagra (plizing of a young gal). Is HH the only man to be left standing?? I am sorry zambians but you have more of a chance saving the economy with HH as the probability of him lasting the next 3 is very high. Too bad!!! But what do you do when you have very little human resource??
Guys, guys, …. Some writings are too much. While the sentiments written in #12 carry some serious weight, I strongly feel that we will do well if we lT bloggers moderate our language. Please, Zambians. We have only one Zambia to develop.
“ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION.”
I would also humbly like to reminder the PF that nominations for President are between 23 – 26 th September 2008. There will be little time for a PF convention if all goes to the worst in case Hon. Sata fails to continue campaigning due to sickness or being ill at this stage of the Presidential race. So please, work out a good plan for HH seems to be campaigning serious in Villages (where voters who made a diffrence in the 2006 elections are situated), Towns and Cities.
As it were at UNZA, please, support the possible would-be winning team for the Presidential-by-election: UPND’s HH team.
Maestro, Sata ni nshimbi, just wait and see. Yuor roumours are unfounded coz Sata wasnt in chongwe at all.
Thanks for the assurance #15. However, Hhehhehhehhe, the race is not for timid souls. It will be hard and long, I wish the PF (Poor Finishers in the name of Patriotic Front) all the success in this Presidential-By-Election. While I wish them (PF and Hon. Sata) well, it know they will have a good RUN from HH because he is taking ground in Lusaka and the Cooperbelt.
HH waboola! Real ray of change and hope, Zambia can believe in.
When is UNZA going to be re-OPENED?
As an un-official supporter of “HH waboola – Real ray of change and hope Zambians can believe in”, I am asking all Internet bloggers to visit
ht tp :/ /ww w. hakainde. co m
and vote for the place they are found so that the census being carried out can show meaningful results on parts where voters can be reached.
RB distributing sugar and meal mealie in eastern province is this not bribing voters? Where is the anti corruption and the Zambia election commission? Shame MMD and those law enforcing agents.
RB is a potentail corrupter, giving sugar and mealie meal at this time of presidential campaign is a sign of insighting villegers to vote for him.
He should leave this to the minister of community development and social welfare.
MMD BUYNG VOTES WITH MEALI MEAL AND BAGS OF RICE..WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO STOP THIS CHEAP POLITICS..YOU GUYS ONLY SHOWN UP AT ELECTION TIME…POST 09/14 HAS RB AS SUGaR DAD DISHING OUT SUGAR AND MEALI MEAL IN PETAUKE…THIS IS JUST SO CHEAP FOR MMD TO DO!!
people should get those material and do not vote for MMD,,WHY NOT EMPOWER THE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO BUY THEIR OWN MEALI MEAL AND SUGAR EVERYDAY…
#15.Dont doubt my data coz you dont know where i work.I repeat,Sata abandon the rally bcoz persistant coughing & chocking.Chitalu Sampa continued wit the rally after was led off the stage as people left the rally ground.
Behind Sata’s ego for the Presidence,there is a life and a family man.
His life is more important than going to state house o
Banda now a sugar daddy…..is it that he just realised that doing that only to his young wife would be his end.The voters should get that sugar but vote for someone who does not believe in bribes. Go HH.
For those that think HH will be president. I wish you luck. Like the saying goes His wish of becoming president is like getting a horn from a dog. I can promise u that HH can not get Lusaka and CB . Just like he will not have any impact in Northern and Luapula. He has no hope in hell for getting any serious votes in eastern due to the ill fated UDA. He stands a 20% chance in Western and Northwestern. I should think he has no real chance in Central. His only hope is Southern.His wish should be that he gets all the votes their which is not possible.All this hope of HH geting it,I would love to know were it is comming from. The man will always be in the opposition for the rest of his life.
MMD that by taking the body of late LPM around the country Zambians would be persuaded to vote for their party out of sympathy, but they will be shocked because of filing a wrong presidential candidate. Zambians are not sleeping dogs who can just be compelled to do what their conscious tells them is wrong. It will be a very big mistake if Zambians vote for MMD into office again after they failed to adequatelty support the education, health and agriculture in the country. We want change and for sure Zambians will vote MMD out on October 30. Viva HH and Sata!!!
RB has exposed his true coloures much sooner than i thought . Is this truly the kind we need for president to pull us out of poverty . we will soon be passed economicaly by zimbabwe in no time at all and look to them once again like fools if we vote this over aged Sugar BABOON .Realy how can MMD stand for such tish . This RB giving sugar and mealie meal llike we dont know whats up does he think we zambians are stupid
Politics aside. Fuel prices in Zambia are twice the price of any other regional country. I love RB’s initiative of reducing fuel prices. I know the blogers have personal interests, but Rupiah should go through because he is the only one who knows that Zambia is not only Lusaka, Copperbelt, Northern and Luapula.
#27 so you think Rb is reducing the fuel price because its the best thing for zambia or the best thing for his run for presidency , and by the way if you read RB’s speach in eastern provinc you will think twice about what you just runted on about Rb being for zambia he is in it for himself
I can assure you RB is going to win come October 30. I agree with #27 Zamba is not Lusaka, Copperbelt, Northern and Luapula. History is about ot repeat it self because PF is making the same mistake of campaigning just in lusaka and copperbelt. The other mistake is that PF has no structures at district and ward level in all the 72 districts but MMD has and that is where RB will get more votes, remember Levy got alot of votes from rural areas in 2006. RB has the means of campaigning in all the 72 districts because constitution allows him to use state resources, so PF and UPND supporters just wait and see. What has happened to the PF and UPND pact, is it still there?
EEEE, Abena Zambians. Poverty eradication will only end in my country if only the govt or whatever is behind that machinery when you start giving your workers retirement benefits on time so that they go adn invest kumushi or wherever. I have a friend whose dad died some five years ago and till now the poor man has not even got a ngwee. What do you expect? someone toils for the govt for 30 years and dies without seeing his money. how many of those so called ‘bamu boma’ are above teh retirement age? Please leave space for young blood so that we too can contribute to your retirement package. the problem is ‘ you never listen’ so long your pocket is full.
It makes me feel bad that some people have to sweat so much to understand simple things in life.
RB says he expects very high vote in eastern province. He is right, there is nothing wrong with him foreseing that.
This is human and it is normal; you get more support from where they know you.
This happens everywhere, in corporate would, in politics, in regional grouping, at UN etc.
How do you expect people from shangombe to vote for you when they dont know you? That does not make sense.
Even in America, where people think there is democracy, this is not strange at all; in fact it makes a lot of sense. Most candidates get the largest votes from their areas of origin.
# 31 contd..
As african countries, why should you vote for a guy from cambodia for UN secretary general, whom you dont even know very well when you have someone from Africa whom you know pretty well about their ability.
In USA most of the time each candidate gets the highest vote from their bases, unless in cases where they have really messed up. RB has not messed up in eastern and so this is just a logical and intelligent prediction. What is the tribalism about this.
I expect HH to have more votes from south where he comes from; they know him better than any other place, where is the problem with that?
If they cant vote for you where you come from means you are a bad candidate.
That’s nothing new Mr Banda. The only problem is that once you are elected you forget you mentioned these things. communicate your vision and not what you are expected to do without even thinking about. it is Govt’s primary objective to provide for it’s citizens but in this country the govt doesn’t seem to know this. What is your vision Mr. banda????? To reduce the price of fuel so that we can vote for you?? Sad and desperate measures you are employing.
ALA MWALANDAFYE TWAMIVOTELA UKUCILA UKUBEPA UBUFI. TWALICULA KALE.REDUCE POVERTY?HOW?WHEN? AND WHY NOW?TALK ABOUT MAGINALISATION BA BANDA..
Politician’s are all the same….say anything to get into office!,crooks and liars.
If RB can give directives to reduce fuel price, and its done immediately…Are we saying, Levy was non responsive to people’s cries? He could have done the same. Is RB proving that LPM was working for the country and not for the people?
A step in the right direction. The aged were humiliated. I will vote for you RB so that you can prove yourself not to be liar otherwise come 2011 i will be on your neck.Now Go RB!! Deliver!!