THE Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO) has warned of blacklisting beneficiaries of the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP) who will be found selling agricultural inputs they will get under the programme.

Cooperative and Marketing Permanent Secretary, Bernard Namachila, sounded the warning during the launch of the 2008/09 National Fertilizer Support Programme (NFSP) held at Crystal Spring hotel in Chipata today.

Mr. Nakachinda said there were some malpractices happening in the programme where some beneficiaries sold the inputs instead of using them in their fields.

He said in some cases, cooperatives had been used by some businesspersons to procure the inputs meant for small holder farmers for re-selling.

“Let me reiterate my warning that individuals found wanting shall be visited by the law and such farmers shall be blacklisted together with members of their households who will never access the facility. Genuine farmers and not traders should be the only ones to benefit,” Mr. Namachila charged.

He implored District Agricultural Committees ( DACs) in the country to be on the look out for people involved in malpractices. The Permanent Secretary also said under the Fertilizer Support Programme, a household is supposed to benefit only for two seasons after which it is weaned so that other households could benefit.

Mr. Namachila said the beneficiaries to this programme must be small scale farmers belonging to a registered cooperative or farmer group who must also have capacity to grow one to five hectares of maize.

He said the beneficiaries should be able to raise the 25 percent of the cost of the inputs which is K 50,000-00 and must not concurrently benefit from the Food Security Park under Preventive Against Malnutrition ( PAM )

Mr. Namachila also directed the department of agriculture to disqualify cooperatives and farmer groups that were only re-activated during the time of acquiring inputs.

And Kasama District has received a total of 32,000 by 50kg bags of subsidized fertilizer under the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP) for this year’s agricultural season.

District Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Steven Chanda confirmed the development to ZANIS in Kasama , Thursday.

Col. Chanda said out of the total fertilizers received by the District, 16, 000 by 50 KG bag is Urea while another 16, 000 by 50kg bags is D-compound.

He revealed that the distribution of the inputs would start next week.

Col. Chanda has since urged farmers to make sure that they procure the subsidized inputs through their cooperatives to avoid compromising their yields.

The DC also advised civil servants intending to access the same fertilizer to liaise with the District Agriculture Coordinator, so that they too could benefit from the subsidized inputs.

Recently, Government announced a drastic reduction in the price of fertilizer under the Fertilizer Support Programme from K200, 000 per 50 KG bag to K50, 000 per 50 KG bag.

The move is aimed at empowering vulnerable but viable farmers to access the agriculture inputs in order for them to boost production and in turn enhance the country’s food security.

ZANIS/WS/ENDS/KSM/MM

President Rupiah Banda says people aggrieved about the outcome of the October 30 presidential election are free to petition.

Mr. Banda says according to Zambian laws any candidate who is not happy with election results is free to petition.

The President said Patriotic Front-PF- leader, Michael Sata, is free to reject and petition the results.

Mr. Banda was speaking to Journalist shortly after getting an official portrait at Zambia News and Information Service-ZANIS- in Lusaka on Wednesday.

And President Banda said he is not aware that former President, Frederick Chiluba, helped his campaign in the just ended presidential election.

President Banda said he just read in the newspapers that Dr. Chiluba had gone round campaigning for him.

He however thanked Zambians for voting for him in Thursday’s presidential election.
[ZNBC]

Cadres from opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and the ruling MMD Thursday morning clashed in a free for all punch-up at Lusaka’s Nakatindi Hall where verification of presidential ballots was due to take place.

According to eye witnesses, a number of polling assistants were also caught up in the physical tussle between the PF and MMD cadres.

The fracas prompted Lusaka Returning Officer, Timothy Hakuyu to indefinitely suspend the verification of presidential ballot papers.

Mr. Hakuyu who is also Lusaka Town Clerk confirmed that a number of polling assistants were slapped by some unidentified cadres during the fight.

But MMD Lusaka District Chairman, Paul Chihande alleged that his cadre William Matalauze was slapped by PF leader Michael Sata during the confusion.

However, PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda denied allegations linking Mr. Sata to the fracas.

Mr. Lubinda however confirmed having witnessed the exchange of blows between PF and MMD cadres.

Earlier, some polling assistants who were waiting to be paid their dues refused to leave Nakatindi Hall, demanding that they be paid their dues.

The polling assistants only lef the place after the Returning officer assured them that their monies will be paid later in the day.

And Lusaka Police Commanding Officer Greenwell N’guni told ZNBC news that he sent police re-enforcements after Mr. Hakuyu alerted him on phone.

Mr. N’GUNI said Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo will issue a comprehensive statement later in the day.

[ZNBC]

Zambia’s electoral commission is today (Thursday) expected to begin verifying votes from last week’s presidential election making it possible for the opposition to challenge the result in court. Main opposition leader Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front party claims the electoral commission rigged the vote for the presidential candidate of the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy. Rupiah Banda was sworn in Sunday after the electoral commission declared him winner of the presidential by-election to replace late President Levy Mwanawasa.

Fred Mtesa is a Zambian political analyst. From the capital, Lusaka he tells reporter Peter Clottey that the looming court challenge could strengthen Zambia’s democratic process.

“I think it is an important step in the development of the electoral process in Zambia because it means the aggrieved party has an opportunity to lay their grievances through the legal process,” Mtesa noted.

He said previous presidential candidates have challenged election results after they were defeated.

“In the first place Mr. Sata is not the first losing presidential candidate to challenge the result of a presidential election in Zambia. In 2001, three losing contestants Mr. Mazoka, Christian Tembo and General Godfrey Miyanda petitioned the results of the presidential election, and they went to court. And of course in the end, the Supreme Court of Zambia ruled that the late President Levy Mwanawasa was duly elected as president of the republic of Zambia, although the court said there were anomalies,” he said.

Mtesa said the main opposition leader is not content with the election results.

“For Mr. Sata in 2001 he did not challenge the election results, in 2006 he did complain. And it is understandable given the growing popularity of his party in the urban areas, particularly in Lusaka and the Copper Belt where he swept the votes. I think it is understandable that he feels aggrieved,” Mtesa pointed out.

He said poll observers were unanimous about the credibility of the October 30th presidential by-election.

“The election was held under very difficulty conditions, and the Electoral Commission of Zambia was called upon to prepare at a very short notice. But we had reports from monitors of the Africa Union, the SADC (Southern African Development Community) monitors and also local monitors who adjudged that the election were conducted in a free and fair atmosphere,” he said.

Mtesa said there was a need to allow the electoral process to flourish.

“It is difficult to say what the court would decide and would have to look at the evidence. And I think for now the right thing to do for every observer is to allow the due process of the law to take its course and it would be a test of the Zambia constitution and to see what would happen in the event that the court ruled that the election was fraudulent,” Mtesa noted.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Sata claims the election was marked by discrepancies between vote tallies and the number of voters on registration lists and is ready to challenge the results in court. Under Zambian law, the verification of ballots is required before an aggrieved politician can ask the court to demand all ballots to be recounted.

VOA

The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) says there is need to decentralize the Electoral Commission of Zambia in order to have an effective electoral process.

AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo says there is also need for the commission to consistently build capacity among its workers to enable them handle the electoral process effectively.

Mr. Tembo told ZANIS in Lusaka today that decentralizing ECZ would result in delivering election materials and facilitate the electoral process in time adding that this would also restore voter confidence in the country.

He said noted that they were a lot of challenges in the just ended elections especially in delivering election materials on time in distant places because all the materials had to be transported from Lusaka.

And Mr. Tembo has said that the ECZ should in future consider having election materials such as ballot papers printed within the country in order to reduce on the cost of printing them outside the country.

He said the country has sufficient capacity to prepare ballot papers and other materials adding that there is need to resuscitate the government printing department.

Mr. Tembo has also urged the media to report objectively and responsibly on electoral issues in order to avoid confusing stakeholders.

Meanwhile the AVAP Executive Director has commended ECZ and the Zambia Police Service for their capacity to hold elections despite the pressure of organizing the presidential by election in limited time.

The October 30th elections in which four candidates participated was won by MMD’s candidate Rupiah Banda.

ZANIS/CM/AM/ENDS

The Zambia Consumer Association has blamed the Milling companies in the country for unjustifiably inflating prices of Mealie meal.

Executive Secretary Muyunda Lililonga said the Millers had a hidden agenda for increasing prices on the commodity saying what they were doing was tantamount to bringing down the government..

In an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe Wednesday, Mr. Lillilonga wondered why prices of the staple food were too high when the millers had bought the maize cheaply.

He explained that the millers claims that the high prices of mealie meal was due to high maize prices were unjustifiable.

Mr. Lillilonga called on the government to intervene quickly because it was too dangerous politically as majority of poor Zambians would blame the new administration of the newly elected Rupiah Banda over the prices.

He called on the millers to be partners with the government because what they were doing now after elections was not healthy.

In another development, Mr. Lillilonga has said the appreciating of the Kwacha against the united states dollars was an indication of confidence that investors had in the new government of President Rupiah Banda.

The executive secretary added that since the Kwacha had regained strength, he was hopeful that the prices of imported goods would also come down.

And ruling MMD Copperbelt MMD Copperbelt Provincial Youth Chairman Richard Mofya says there is no justification for increased mealie meal prices in the country.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS Ndola Wednesday morning, Mr Mofya said there was no justification for retailers to increase the price of commodity without government’s authorisation.

Mr Mofya said there was need for retailers that had increased the prices of the commodity to justify their action.

He observed that there was need for all stakeholders to move in accordance to governments’ decision on prices of commodities in the country.

He said it would be the youths who will suffer most because they were unemployed and did not have a stable source of income.

Mr Mofya advised business people to be considerate to the fact that the Zambian Kwacha had started to appreciate soon after the elections hence there being no tangible justification for increasing the price of mealie.

ZANIS/PFK/CMM/ENDS/MM.

Republican President, Rupiah Banda, disclosed today that he would travel to South Africa this Saturday to attend the Heads of State and Government emergence Summit.

The President said he would brainstorm on the formulation and possibly consider announcing the new Cabinet after returning from the emergence Heads of State and Government Summit.

Mr Banda was responding to questions from journalists immediately after taking a photo shoot for his official portrait at ZANIS studios today.

“On Saturday I will be traveling to South Africa to attend the emergency AU Heads of State Summit, so when I return I will think about when to announce my Cabinet,” President Banda hinted.

He, however, reiterated his gratitude to all Zambians who rendered support during the elections.

Mr Banda was elected republican President in the October 30 Presidential elections following the untimely death of President Mwanawasa.

And President Banda says he is impressed with the manner in which the United States of America elections were conducted.

THE prices of mealie meal and other foodstuff have continued to skyrocket despite the reduction in fuel prices.

In Lusaka, the price of mealie meal has shot up from about K56, 000 to K61, 900 per 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast while roller meal has been pegged at K51,000 from K49, 000 for the similar quantity.

Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) executive director Harrison Banda attributed the mealie meal price increases to the high maize prices.

In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Banda said the millers were getting maize at $410 per tonne, which translated into about K82,000 per 50 kilogramme bag using the prevailing foreign exchange rate.

He explained that the price of maize and its sources were a major factor in the price of mealie meal and it could not be mitigated by the reduction in fuel prices.

But Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Sarah Sayifwanda said that the millers should explain why they were increasing the price of the staple food when they procured the maize cheaply.

Ms Sayifwanda said there was no justification in the claim by the millers because they had been encouraged to buy the crop directly from the farmers around the country.

She said millers were supposed to be Government partners and what they were doing was tantamount to sabotage and wondered if they wanted to bring the Government down.

“The millers had caused the Food Reserve Agency to increase the maize prices from K45,000 to K55,000 because the millers were offering better prices,” Ms Sayifwanda said.

Ms Sayifwanda said what was happening was not healthy and she would convene a meeting with MAZ upon arrival from India where she was scheduled to go this week.

A 25 kilogramme of breakfast from Simba No. 1 and GBM Superior Milling was being sold between K60,000 and K61,900 in most of the shops at Northmead Shopping Centre.

Roller meal was being sold for between K49,500 and K52,500 for the same quantity while a 10 kilogramme of Gold Star and Choma Milling breakfast was pegged at K29,000 from K25, 000 in the townships.

At BP Express Shop in Longacres, a 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast was being sold for K61,000 while bread has also been increased to K4,300 from K3,900 at the same shop.

A 25 kilogramme GBM breakfast bag of mealie meal is selling at K61,900 while a 12-and-half kilogramme is going for K33, 800 at Melissa Supermarket in Northmead and Longacres’ Rendezvous Supermarket.

The price of a two kilogramme sugar has been increased from K8,000 to K10,000 while a one kilogramme packet is fetching between K5,500 and K6,000 from the initial K5,000.

All the milling companies, apart from National Milling, which was waiting for instructions from the company’s headquarters in Lusaka, have increased the price of mealie meal.

Chimanga Changa Milling Company, spokesman Auswell Nyoni said millers on the Copperbelt were forced to increase retail prices of mealie meal due to a combination of factors.

He cited the factors as the increase in the prices of bags of maize from K45,000 to K55,000 per 50 kilogramme bag, limited supplies of maize, the fluctuating exchange rate and high costs of production, among others.

Meanwhile the Central Statistical Office (CSO) said on Tuesday Zambian inflation has surged to 15.2 % year-on-year in October from 14.2 % the previous month, largely due to higher food and transport costs.

“The increase of 1.0 percentage points in the annual inflation rate was due to the increase in the cost of food, transport and hotel accommodation,” it said in a statement.

The October jump takes inflation further away from the government’s target of 7 percent by the end of 2008, as high global fuel and food prices have lifted domestic costs.

Zambia, which has vast copper reserves, had agreed to try to keep inflation within single digits and maintain a stable exchange rate in return for increased funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

President Rupiah Banda has vowed to continue his predecessor’s policies, including targeting low inflation.

Times of Zambia/Reuters