HH’s decision to give Rwanda 10,000 hectares insensitive, reckless – Silavwe

HH’s decision to give Rwanda 10,000 hectares insensitive, reckless – Silavwe



By Bright Tembo ( The Mast)



GOLDEN Party Zambia president Jackson Silavwe says the decision by President Hakainde Hichilema’s government to give Rwanda 10,000 hectares of land is insensitive and reckless.

He says instead the government must train and employ 1,000 youths under the Zambia National Service and let them utilise the 10,000 hectares to farm and sell to Rwanda.

“The decision by President Hakainde Hichilema’s government to give Rwanda 10,000 hectares of land is insensitive and reckless to our people battling hard economic challenges,” he said. “The decision does not just make economic sense. It is also bad at governance and national sovereignty. We urge President Hichilema and his administration to rescind this decision and instead consider the following: the Zambian government must train and employ 1,000 youths under the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and let them utilise the 10,000 hectares to farm and sell to Rwanda, the government should empower a group of graduating farmers from the National Resources Development College (NRDC) to farm and sell to Rwanda.”

Silavwe said the government should consider creating a special purpose vehicle and distribute the 10,000 hectares among five constituencies under CDF to farm and sell for Rwanda

“The government should give 10,000 hectares of land to Cooperative College of Zambia and let the students farm for Rwanda. The government should to spread the 10,000 hectares across the 10 provinces, 1,000 hectares per province  and empower specific youth farmers to grow and sell to Rwanda,” he suggested. “The government should create a special purpose vehicle led by five paramount chiefs in Zambia to farm and sell for Rwanda.”

Silavwe said the six proposals if implemented would create employment for locals.

“The six proposals we have made, if implemented, will promote local farming and diversification, create employment for locals, bring in forex and strengthen the local economy in provinces where the farms will be located,” said Silavwe. “We love Rwandans, giving them 10,000 hectares is just too much for any government and its people. The Zambian government should just secure the Rwandan market on behalf of the mobilised local Zambian farmers. Should President Hichilema and his administration proceed with this reckless undertaking we request our chiefs to reject giving away our land in this blatant manner.”