Vice President Guy Scott has apologised and appealed to small scale farmers to remain calm as government is working on modalities to quicken the payment process of farmers that supplied their maize to Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
Dr. Scott explained that government is aware of the effects that late payment will have on farmers hence is working hard to ensure that the situation is improved and that all farmers are paid their dues before November.
Dr. Scott said this when he featured on a live special interview on Breeze FM in Chipata today.
“Some people are saying PF is “Paya Farmer”. It is not true that we have come to kill the peasant farmers in rural areas. In fact, we want to support all emerging farmers in order to create employment and fighting poverty in rural areas” he said.
He disclosed that government has received an additional K41 billion which is still not enough to pay all the farmers for them to prepare in time for the next farming season.
He said to this effect the Ministries of Finance, Justice and Agriculture have recorded progress in borrowing funds to give to banks that will in turn pay farmers for the maize supplied to FRA.
[pullquote]“Some people are saying PF is “Paya Farmer”. It is not true that we have come to kill the peasant farmers in rural areas. In fact, we want to support all emerging farmers in order to create employment and fighting poverty in rural areas” he said.[/pullquote]
The Vice President alleged that some challenges in the crop marketing season were caused by the previous government and that the PF government is working hard to address the problems in order to tighten up the supervision and control of money being released for farmers.
He further noted that government is committed to improving the wellbeing of small scale famers by improving the input supply and the whole crop marketing process.
Meanwhile, Dr. Scott has maintained that government will not interfere with the operations of law enforcement agencies in its quest to fight corruption.
He said government will also not intervene even in the issue of two cabinet ministers that have been accused of involving themselves in corrupt activities.
He explained that the continued calls that the two ministers should resign are unjustifiable adding that the two are just facing allegations and have not yet been found guilty.
Dr Scott said that Defence Minister together with his Justice counterpart have the right to continue serving in government until the Anti-Corrorruption Commission (ACC) establishes the validity of the allegations leveled against them.
“The two ministers were merely accused of committing a crime and allegations will merely be allegations until they are proven guilty by the courts of law. Allegations do not implicate anyone, it does not make someone a witch until proved otherwise,” he said.
The Vice President stated that government will wait upon the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation report before coming up with a decision on the matter.
The ACC has launched preliminary inquiries on the possible elements of corruption following reports of corrupt allegations involving Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba and his Justice counterpart Wynter Kabimba.
On PF internal power struggle, Dr Scott said what was currently happening was merely some internal wrangles that could be sorted out within the party hierarchy.
He however explained that there could be some new members that had joined the party with ambitions of succeeding the President that might want to play their own cards.
And Dr. Scott has expressed confidence that the PF will scoop the forth coming Mufumbanzi ward by-election in Petauka slated for November 8, 2012.
He said PF will use this by-election as a litmus test and prove to people that it is a party of all Zambians and has presence everywhere.
He wasn’t defending anyone though was he? He was merely restating what is a trite position in any liberal democracy; a man is innocent until proven guilty.
Stepping aside to facilitate investigations does not mean one in guilty. shows how morally upright one is. it does not change the law to guilty until the President secures your innocence.
sweety that didnt even make sense.
#1 You must be a paid PF ( Paya Farmer) cadre. Unless you have been living under a rock, everybody has been calling for GBM and Wynter Maize kabimba to resign so they pave way for investigation and that is not declaring them guilty. We just need to level the playing field.
If even the so called immoral Dora Siliya did leave Government when she was being investigated and only after the tribunal cleared here did RB re-appoint her.
If Siliya did it, why can’t these two DID it as well.
And this Chola boy Scott is busy defending them. This is not a Law issue. It is a moral issue.
you are also a paid up upnd cadre.was guy defending or stating facts?continue being bitter, the ministers wont resign period.
Observer, you should stop telling lies. Was Dora Siliya cleared by the Tribunal? I do not remember that happening. What i remember is that the Tribunal stated that Honourable Siliya had abused her office. This is the reason why she went to court and was only cleared by the courts of law. If you do not have facts, you are better off not posting anything lest people call you are liar because what you have stated is not what happened.
veep
I have noticed one observable trend. Why is it that everytime King Cobra is out, Guy Scott also undetakes local trips? Is it to avoid the obvious embarrassment of not being appointed acting president?
What do you mean? Guy was at the airport seeing off MCS
Iwe Guy, don’t make empty promises like Welensky.
Ilike the new name for PF……. Paya Farmer . ke!ke!ke!ke!ke!!!
Please pay the farmers. No excuses please. What is wrong with you guys?
I am not a Farmer but I have been a victim by my own Zambian government. Today I am still awaiting payment for the food I supplied to the Police three years ago! If the govt cannot pay small upcoming entrepreneurs what kind of citizens must be called upon to do business? This was indeed not under PF but MMD. But PF needs pay us promptly so that we can continue in our small way to emancipate ourselves from entrapment in poverty. Why should a government be failing to pay small business people what is owed to them promptly? Pay the small scale Farmers promptly. You subject them to poverty whilst you are up and down, earning allowances which are paid to you promptly. The govt should not subject its own hard working peasant farmers to poverty, why? Who will defend these honest people?
Thank you for confessing your sins!
One thing that impresses me with ba Guy Scott is his sense of simplicity, cheerfulness and humor. He is the big brain in the PF government. The rest are either average guys or downright under performers. Guy Scott knows how to translate data into Public Policy and subsequently into prioritizing of competing demands of the state. The rest play sowelo, chintobentobe or malikopo. How I wish the slot for successor to president MCS would fall on him. I find it unfair that he does not act as president when MCS is away. There is something terribly wrong with the PF. Constitutionally even with that funny clause, he is eligible to Act.
Ba fi colour pay farmers what belongs to them, they are feeding a nation and you are ignoring them dats not fair at all. They have families to feed, bills to pay, send their kids to school, how do you expect them to live a life of only one annual income if you dont pay them? Kanshi mwakosa shani imitwe? Mwaleseka ba MMD te apa naimwe mwamonekela Paya Farmer government
For a moment I thought judge Chikopo had been re-aligned to be the eastern province provincial minister!
The eastern province minister LOOKS VERY HEALTHY
Indeed, must be a regular at the local gym!
eastern province minister is on ARVs
Iwe Chimbwi no Plan, taking ARVs should be a source of discussion on the blogs. Be mature ****** we. How many people are suffering from this condition and for you it is a joking matter. Swine!
PF work and work for Zambia. Change the face of Zambia and my vote is yours come 2016. But if you start stealing like the MMD thugs, then you will cry in 2016. Don,t steal and share our money like what MMD and HH did through the fake privatization of our companies. These guys killed many Zambians. But you be different from them.
Paya Farmer.
He disclosed that government has received an additional K41 billion! from where
“He said to this effect the Ministries of Finance, Justice and Agriculture have recorded progress in borrowing funds to give to banks that will in turn pay farmers for the maize supplied to FRA”
Ministry of Justice is now involved in borrowing money for agriculture??? these guys must be lost
Guy Scott is getting Confused due to old age and being sidelined. But I like the way he likes to paraphrase the shooting against PF and Ukwa. He likes the Sound of them.
The other time he was saying stop calling SATA Chimbwi, Nkumba etc I think Guy was enjoying name calling his boss. Now he is saying Paya Farmer for PF. The Other time he called Sata An Old Dog and difficult to change it’s old habits.
DR SCOT, YOU HAVE THE RESPECT OF ZAMBIANS.
PLEASE DO NOT DEFEND CORRUPT ACCUSED. IT IS NORMAL INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE FOR PUBLIC FIGURES TO STEP DOWN OR GET SUSPENDED WHEN SUCH SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS ARE BROUGHT AGAINST THEM.
ZAMBIA IS SLOWLY GOING DOWN ON GOVERNANCE ISSUES AND THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Scott is playing the game of scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours too.
Pama Fi changed to Paya Farmer.
This muzungu belela must not insult our intelligence! It bogles the mind how ACC should carry out investigations when the people being investigated still office. Any fool will tell you that is not in order. Even his comment compromised the work of ACC. These crooks covering up for each other!
Let the two ministers continue as ministers. If all the alleged corrupt ministers were to resign to pave way for investigations, then the opposition will accuse the entire cabinet and deputy ministers and ask them to resign to pave way for investigation.
Ceremonial vice presido CVP doing what he knows best, pretend and hyper hullucinate that he is his boasses lapdog CNP.
people the gvmnt iz just tolking bout farmers money,forgeting people who r receiving n buying the maize.depot clerks hv nt received their salary for september others for august,which corruption wen people wrked n they were given half salaries. how do they stop people frm stealing.the accountant @ chipata FRA must be questioned.
This Guy Wellensky Scot should be serious with agriculture. In his Chiluba days he destroyed small scale farming until our country changed from a bread basket to a basket case. It was Mwanawasa and Rupia who restored the country to bumper harvests. Once again our agricultural policy is in total confusion. This is October, and yet the Farmer input Support fertiliser and seed are unavaillable and likely to come late. Where will the bumper harvests come from. May I appeal to PF supporters, please tell your Wellensky to stop politiking ang give us inputs so that we can grow the staple for our country. The dream being promoted to make Zambians turn to rice and french fries is just a pipe dream. Get serious ba Paya Farmer.
This Guy Wellensky Scot should be serious with agriculture. In his Chiluba days he destroyed small scale farming until our country changed from a bread basket to a basket case. It was Mwanawasa and Rupia who restored the country to bumper harvests. Once again our agricultural policy is in total confusion. This is October, and yet the Farmer input Support fertiliser and seed are unavaillable and likely to come late. Where will the bumper harvests come from. May I appeal to PF supporters, please tell your Wellensky to stop politiking ang give us inputs so that we can grow the staple for our country. The dream being promoted to make Zambians turn to rice and french fries is just a pipe dream. Get serious ba Paya Farmer before you cause a famine in Zambia.
very immoral sentiments there..is this man really white../he behaves like a bemba man..!not honest..
PF, you publickly announced through the media that it would only take two weeks for a farmer to get his dues. Why have you now taken it to before November? Why cant you use the tax from Kansanshi Mine to first clear all north western province farmers before rolling to other provinces? Please learn to stick to your promises and discard the “90 days” and “Dont Kubeba” approaches. Say what you mean. I will not be surprised to see some farmers getting their dues in November.
Guy Scott is feather brained. Anyway, I have never expected anything good from him because he cannot think independently. These are bootlickers who feel that by singing praises for the party heads, they will be kept in their positions so that they continue eating in the maize field without inteference. It was only a few months ago when PF cried for Dora Siliya to step aside for investigations to be impartial. We would like to know what has changed with Winter and GBM. Is Guy Scott saying the principle of “innocent until proved guilty” was not applicable at the time they called for Dora’s blood? What a shame. Be practical. We want the two to step aside for the security agencies to work with impartiality.
The two mini-skirts or mini-stars must step down, if they remain in ministerial position, they can easily influence those investigating them. Just resign bane. You be back when you are cleared.
Paya farmer o promoter farmer PF
Seriously this guy is defending bull I m touched I thought he was the only brain left in pf but its clear whiskey at work
VP, do you know the meaning of the word “ACCOUNTABILITY”? And if you know, please spred the meaning among your cabinet peers.
Imwe abasungu, bamwenye, banshi mukanfulumende, chansoni sana, impya shileya kumwabo?%-([-x