Residents of Ngwezi in Kazungula district in Southern Province have rejected the relief maize sent to them saying the consignment was not enough.
The residents claim that out of the 2,998 people affected by hunger only 453 people were earmarked to receive the food from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
One of the residents, Jasphat Mungole who represented Mungole village charged that the people of Ngwezi have agreed not to receive the relief maize if only a few people are going to benefit.
Mr. Mungole said that it is better to share the little with everyone instead of coming up with few beneficiaries in a situation where hunger is looming in the area.
He disclosed that women and children in the area are the most vulnerable as they spend most of their time in bush in search of roots locally known as ‘Lusala’.
And Idah Simunza of Namadula village said people in the area have resorted to engage themselves into illegal charcoal trading so that they can raise income to look after their families.
Ms. Simunza however, disclosed that it is a tough business because sometimes officers from the forestry department pounce on them and collect everything from them.
Scores of senior headmen from Ngwezi ward led by the area councillor in Kazungula district yesterday stormed ZANIS office to air their grievances over the distribution of relief food.
Area Councillor Hebert Simundivwi disclosed that last Friday, he received a team of officers from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in Lusaka who informed him that only 453 households out of 2, 998 households in Ngwezi ward will benefit from the relief food.
Mr. Simundivwi charged that the DMMU officers instructed him to relay the information to the village headmen so that they can start selecting the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the senior headmen said it is life threatening for one to come up with a list of few beneficiaries because all households were hit by hunger due to poor rainfall in the last farming season.
why is it the province that claims to be self sufficient in food is the one that begs for food yr out yr in.
These people can not be that hungry. How do you reject food?
Please take what has been offered and feed your children. Yes complain that it is not enough, but you do not reject aid.
I don’t see the sense here , as southern province which boasts of feeding zambia can be crying for relief food .
Our people are hungry and all you do is politicize everything. Not the post for that.
kazungula is in southern province but most of the people found in the district are lozi people and not tongas.most of these lozis are very lazy and they always depend on the government .meanwhile they do not even vote for the government but for opposition.
Govt needs to sit down with Kazungula chiefs, civic and traditional leaders. These people always live on hand-outs regardless of the rainfall situation. They do not have big maize fields. When given fertiliser through FISP, they just sell it and buy food and chibuku. They even go to the extent of washing treated maize seed to eat it. This cannot go on. They need to be told the truth. Government can only feed them in years of bad rains. Besides they are no the only citizens of Zambia.
Some of them deliberately live in flooded plains and receive relief food when affected by floods. To them that is Christmas time to receive manar.