Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) Executive Director Muyunda Illilonga says the current food situation in the country is pathetic.

Mr Illonga explains that this is because the availability of Mealie meal in the country especially on the Copperbelt and other urban areas is erratic.

He said the soaring Mealie meal prices is a matter of concern which requires urgent attention as it was threatening national security.

He explained that since most Zambian people are not yet accustomed to eating other alternative food items like cassava and rice hence the need for government to regard the commodity as an important for national food security.

Mr. Illilonga however said the current food situation may change with the off loading of more maize meal on the market by Government.

The ZACA Chief told ZANIS in an interview that it was gratifying to note that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had signed a memorandum with the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) to purchase maize directly from the farmers.

He said this was a positive step by Government towards enhancing food security as it will cushion the Mealie meal deficit the country is presently experiencing.

And Mr. Illilonga has said that the current flood situation in the country will undoubtedly have an effect on the country’s yields this season.

He however said the situation would not go to an extent of the country having a food deficit. He said the surplus yields from other parts of the country will supplement the deficits in flood inflicted areas.

Mr. Illilonga has since urged Government to ensure that FRA enters the market at the right time to buy more maize from farmers before the commercial farmers.

He said this way Government will be able to outwit the commercial farmers who are in the habit of holding Government at ransom and therefore enhance food security in the country.

He has also called on Government to support peasant farmers by providing them with modern farming equipment such as tractors in order to increase their production levels, and hence contribute effectively to the countrys’ agricultural yields.

Mr. Illilonga said there is need for Government to encourage mechanization in farming as opposed to farming using hoes in planting their foods.

ZANIS/PM/ENDS/MM

Vice President, George Kunda, has directed MMD Members of Parliament (MPs) to explain government programmes to the people in rural areas.

Mr Kunda says people in rural areas are in dire need of assistance and want to see development come to their door steps.

He says government has now changed the new approach of sending ministers and deputy ministers more often to rural areas to explain the fiscal government policies set by the MMD administration.

The Vice President said this at a mammoth public gathering held at Chavuma Boma yesterday.

He disclosed that government has released K10 billion to the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) in all the nine provinces so that rural populace benefits as a way of alleviating poverty among the people in rural areas.

He said now that the 2009 national budget was out, MPs should often visit their constituencies to sensitize the rural people on what government intends to do for them especially in areas of education, health, tourism and mining among other key sectors of the economy.

He said government is revising the conditions of accessing the CEEC funds because government is in a hurry to developing the nation so that it becomes a middle-income nation by the year 2030.

Mr Kunda said each district will be apportioned a share from the K10 billion, adding that 40 per cent is for women vulnerability development while the rest (60 per cent) will go towards men, women and the youths.

Mr Kunda announced that government intends to link Chavuma with an all-weather road by rehabilitating the Chavuma /Zambezi road to remove the barriers that impede development in that district.

He challenged civil servants not to frustrate government’s efforts, but to ensure that funds released by the central government are used prudently and reach the intended people.

Meanwhile, Mr Kunda has condemned politics of insults and appealed to the Zambian people to concentrate on national building of the economy.

The Vice President said government has realized that politics of insults is a sheer waste of time because it diverts attention to developing the country.

He disclosed that the just-ended indaba is one way of consultative approach that government has embarked on so that all the people are on board towards attaining national development.

He noted that Zambezi is affected by floods and he disclosed that government has sent 200 metric tonnes of food relief to the flood victims.

Mr Kunda is on a tour of North-Western Province on a fact-finding mission of floods.

He is accompanied by Gender Minister, Sarah Sayifwanda, Local Government and Housing Minister, Benny Tetamashimba, MMD Deputy National Secretary Jeff Kaande and senior government officials.

And Mr Kunda has described the flood situation in Zambezi and Chavuma districts as serious.

He, however, said government is tackling the disaster situation with a matter of urgency.

The Vice President is using the ZAF helicopter having Ariel views of floods in flood inflicted areas.

Mr Kunda said his office has deployed Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) Teams to flood inflicted areas to access the damage and provide resources and other needed materials such as tents and food.

The Vice President, who has just returned from Western Province on a similar mission, has disclosed that a vulnerability report will be compiled and the nation will be told.

Mr Kunda and his entourage aboard a ZAF AF-219 plane departed at 07-30 hours for Kabompo on a similar mission.

Mr Kunda is expected back to Lusaka on Thursday this week (tomorrow).

ZANIS/ENDS/KC/EB

other interested parties not to give ultimatums to investigative wings probing the financial irregularities into the operations of the airline.

Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said it was absurd that directors and interested parties were calling for the speedy completion of investigations of financial irregularities in the operation of the airline which suspended operations in January.

He said it was imperative that people exercised patience with the investigative wings because there were many cases being investigated and no similar demands had been made.

“Many people in this country are investigated for whatever they have done and there has been nobody giving an ultimatum as to when the investigations should be concluded.

“Similarly, the investigations regarding Zambian Airways are being handled by the investigative wings and they should be allowed to do their job without any deadlines,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services minister, advised the directors of Zambian Airways to be patient with the investigative wings, especially that they considered themselves to be innocent.

“If they are innocent, they should wait until the investigations are over because there is no investigative wing that will be given an ultimatum.

‘‘Investigative wings have their own rules and time table to follow and all those giving an ultimatum are doing so out of ignorance,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

The Zambia police, Drug Enforcement Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission instituted joint investigations into the financial irregularities of Zambian Airways.

Efforts to get a comment from Inspector General of police, Francis Kabonde failed as he was reportedly out of the country.

[Times of Zambia]