Government says floods that have hit the country will affect the country’s economic growth.
Ministry of Finance and National Planning Permanent Secretary in charge of Planning and Economic
Development Division James Mulungushi said the agricultural sector will particularly suffer as a
result of floods.
ZANIS reports that Dr Mulungushi who was accompanied by Southern Province Permanent Secretary Darius Hakayobe was speaking in Kazungula yesterday when he made an on the spot check on the more than 600 displaced Kasaya families.
He said help from Government to the affected families would continue until they find their
own feet.
Dr Mulungushi commended the provincial leadership in Southern Province for acting swiftly to save the affected families.
He further cautioned officers involved in the distribution of relief food to the affected families
to guard against corruption and ensure that relief food reached the intended families.
Dr Mulungushi also donated K250,000 to Kazungula District Commissioner Fred Siansuntwe on behalf of affected families to buy books for 146 displaced school going children.
And Kazungula District Commissioner Fred Siansuntwe appealed to Government to supply more relief food to the area.
Meanwhile, Government has started airlifting relief food to flood victims of Namwala and Itezhi Tezhi districts in Southern Province.
The operation is being undertaken by the Zambia Air Force jointly with officials from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) who have set temporal base at the Choma airstrip for the relief exercise.
Choma District Commissioner Mungoni Simulilika who yesterday flagged off the exercise said about 700 by 25 kilogramme bags of mealie, food supplements and other relief items will be airlifted from Choma to Namwala and Tezhi Tezhi districts in an exercise that is expected to last about three days.
The Zambia Air Force is using a fixed wing cargo plane to transport the relief food to Namwala where it was again being offloaded and dispatched by helicopters to earmarked areas.
Mr Simulilika told ZANIS at the Choma air strip that the humanitarian assistance was testimony of Government’s commitment to alleviating the suffering of flood victims.
The DC said the relief items from the office of the Vice President intended for flood victims in the two districts which have been severely hit by floods are currently stored at the Food Reserve Agency sheds in Choma.
The Choma-Namwala road has become almost impassable still getting stuck in the mud.
The 190- kilometre journey which used to take three hours is now lasting about seven hours of driving due to the bad road.
This has triggered skyrocketing of prices of mealie meal and other basic commodities sourced from Choma.
A Zambian lady, Mrs Elizabeth Mulaisho passed away on Tuesday, 5th February 2008 in Blackpool, leaving 3 children and a husband. Mr Mulaisho has no job and no income to support his young family and needs assistance to bury his wife or return her body to Zambia.Mr Mulaisho joined his wife and three children 2 years ago, by then Mrs Mulaisho had already lived in the UK for 4 years and was working as a nurse. She was the family’s only breadwinner while the husband stayed at home looking after their young children. Their youngest child is just over a year old.When Mrs Mulaisho became very sick and got admitted to hospital she was unable to work for many months and in the process lost her job
and income. The husband cannot work and the family visa status does not allow him to access benefits or get any support from the British government.While Mrs Mulaisho was ill in hospital, her family got evicted from their house due to non-payment of rent and are now living in a bed and breakfast supported by members of a local church. He is seriously appealing for donations/any help from all of us Zambians reading this email.His contact details are Mr Lewis Mulaisho Tel: +44 (0)7934 694 241
This family is in desperate need and shall accept any donations.
If you are unable to assist financially, please at least do something by circulating this article to other people who may be in
Am just some one who is concerned about my people living outside Zambia i got this on UKZambian website please help help one Zambia one Love my email is [email protected] I would love to know what happens to this family i study in South Africa.
i Also think people in Zambia who are rich or poor should start helping flood victims let us give these people cloths not only letting the government to do all the Job its high time we Zambians start helping each other not condemning the government for natural disasters!!! am out as a Bemba and Chikunda one Zambia one nation!!!!!!!
Let the economy go down as long as my people are safe peace
we can have donation containers in plces where there is security like manda hill were people can drop in old cloths,shoes,beddings and books which the no longer need.Please lets help Mr mulaisho bury the wife.Imagine been found in such a situation.ukzambia tell how far you have gone with funeral arragements.One zambia one nation.
Dickman #1 Thankyou for your concerns butI think you are suffering from mixed up intense emotional feelings. You are a type of a person who can laugh and cry at the some time. First of all we are all sorry for Mr Mulaisho and and the family in the dark moments of the of their time.However, the best they can do is to return to Zambia their homeland.I believe mr Mulaisho is not a refugee in the UK. Now your last remarks makes me wonder what kind of learned fellow are you. You dont expect to be safe in an economy which is going under.All negetaive effects impinges on the people especially those on the grassroot.You better come back to Zed because your studies in SA are not making any wiser.
ba 7# whats wrong with you *****?
Ba #7 i just wanted to make sure that people in Zambia are safe. We will never end talking about the economy. Economies can go up and come down. But human life is vital. please let us do what #6 is saying…….. If am not wise its ok but i want my people to be safe
Iwould suggest that the tragic situation in which the Mulaisho family finds itself mired be addressed independent of all other issues. That would be an honorable and respectful thing to do. Thank you.
Mr Lewis Mulaisho shud go to the Immigration Office and arrange for himself to be deported back to Zambia!!!
UK – Greener Pastures?????
#11 Wait until the day the shoe doesn’t fit. See what you have to say then with your holier than thou mentality!