The Disability Movement has upheld President Mwanawasa’s retention of Ben Kapita as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives.

Disability Activists Elijah Ngwale who is blind, Lango Sinkamba and Felix Mutale who are physically disabled, say, President Mwanawasa’s retention of Ben Kapita as Minister, is a fulfillment of United Nations Conversions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Recently, Mr. Kapita was diagnosed with cancer of the spine and became disabled, thereby using a wheelchair for his mobility.

Subsequently, President Mwanawasa retained Kapita as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives and appointed Ms. Saifwanda as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives to work hand in hand with Ben Kapita.

The trio observed that what is required is to reorient and adapt Ben Kapita in order for him to be as effective as he was before he became disabled.

The trio has condemned politicians and the general public who are calling for the resignation of Kapita on grounds of his disability, describing such persons as practicing discrimination against persons with disabilities.

The trio has called upon disabled people’s organizations to give President Mwanawasa support as he formulates and implements programmes and policies of persons with disabilities in Zambia and the SADC region.

They said as President Mwanawasa is Chairman of SADC, he is also responsible for programmes and policies of persons with disabilities in the region.

A Mazabuka mother has abandoned her two children aged five and eleven years old and her whereabouts are not known since December last year.

A Good Samaritan, Christopher Nkalamo, who is keeping the children told ZANIS that the woman identified as Petronela Kayayi, disappeared last December after telling the children that she was going to Pemba to order some mushrooms but has not returned since.

Mr Nkalamo explained that he rescued the children when the landlord evicted them from the house and got hold of the household items as surety for the unpaid rentals.

He said he then got the children with the hope that the mother will return quickly but up to date, she has not returned from her business trip.

Mr Nkalamo is appealing to the father to the children, Siame Kachingwe, who is suspected to be in Mbala and working as a police officer to come and collect his children as he could not continue keeping them.

Oposition United Party for National Development (UPND) in Mazabuka is demanding for the immediate resignation of Food Reserve Agency management for failing to pay farmers their dues since July last year.

UPND District Chairman, Lloyd Buumba said FRA was demoralising farmers by not paying them on time so that they can acquire inputs.

Mr Buumba said most farmers have not sent their children to school because of the delay by FRA to pay them their money.

Mr Buumba, who is also Mazabuka Central Ward Councillor, said if the FRA boss can not resign, then he should be fired because he has let down the farmers.

He told farmers who were protesting at the District Commissioner’s office that government should not take advantage of the farmers’ vulnerability.

He said failure by government to pay the farmers will have a negative effect on the crop production.

Meanwhile, The Cotton Development Trust (CDT) has predicted a reduction in the production of cotton in Southern province due to the peculiar rainfall pattern that the province has experienced this farming season.

CDT Director West Chita said in an interview today that several crops will be affected by the higher than normal rainfall that the province has experienced.

Mr Chita said cotton production is expected to be low compared to last year adding that the minimum amount of cotton the province will produce could be in the range of 40 to 60 percent.

He said excessive rains caused the fields to be water logged such that weeding and pest control were difficult and challenging to the farmers.

“Our assessment is that this has been a bad season. On crops like maize the effects have already been felt but on cotton there is still some hope that through good management and depending on the weather pattern,” Chita observed.

Mr Chita said organisations that deal with small scale farmers should help in creating awareness to farmers about the effects of global warming.

“Civil society, non governmental organisations, government and ginning companies should take a holistic approach on making sure that farmers are sensitized on the effects of global warming and climate change,” Mr Chita said.

He said farmers should not leave in the dark but they should instead follow meteorological information and advice in order to adapt to the changing climate.