POVERTY, HUNGER REACHES ALARMING LEVELS IN ZAMBIA

….the hunger situation in the country is not due to drought but deliberate inability to give priority to the welfare & livelihood of the people & create sustainable wealth for the hardworking citizens by govt, says Eng Katotobwe

Kabwe… Friday, September 13, 2024 (SMART EAGLES)

Luapula Constituency PF Member of Parliament Eng Chanda Katotobwe has charged that the UPND administration has crippled the country’s economy due to poor economic policies and incompetence

The Luapula Constituency Lawmaker has charged that there is too much hunger in the country induced by the UPND government.

Eng Katotobwe says one issue that has contributed to the crippling of the economy is prolonged hours of load-shedding.

Speaking when he featured on KNC Radio in Kabwe yesterday, alongside Hon Given Lubinda the PF Vice President and Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya, Lunte lawmaker, Eng Katotobwe argued that this is not the first drought the country has witnessed for the UPND to continue blaming climate change.

He stated that due to advancement in science and technology, nations are able to predict the weather patterns for the coming season.

“Nowadays, because of advancement in science and technology, you are able to predict the weather patterns for the coming season and plan well. This drought is there within the region, but other countries have cushioned its impact. Our friends within the region are experiencing fewer hours of load-shedding because they prepared for this drought. Our colleagues in the region are having about three hours of load-shedding a day, and they are feeling the impact. What more are our people who have one to three hours of power per day?” He questioned.

“There is too much hunger in the country induced by the UPND government. In Kabwe here, we are reliably informed that you are only having one hour of electricity. How then can small businesses who can’t afford a generator and the cost of fuel survive? Our people are finding it difficult to do business in these markets because of the unavailability of power.” The cost of living and all basic essential commodities have increased in some cases, double or triple what was prevalent under PF regime, then what is even more tragic is lack of proportionate increase in salaries or earnings by the majority of our people. It’s the responsibility of Govt to ensure the welfare of our people is given utmost priority.”

Meanwhile, Eng Katotobwe has observed that Zambia is not poised for meaningful participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution due to poor planning, extremely poor governance and lack of respect for Science and Technology as there is no nation in this world which has successfully industrialised without investment in science and technology.

“There’s too much rhetoric with no positive yield in technological sovereignty,” he emphasized.

He said the sad part is that the country’s resources continue being looted in raw form with zero mineral beneficiation or value addition in this century.

He wondered how the nation can trigger industrialisation.

SmartEagles2024