STATEMENT BY PF PRESIDENT MILES SAMPA ON THE DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZAMBIA BY PRESIDENT HH

STATEMENT BY PATRIOTIC FRONT (PF) PRESIDENT HON MILES BWALYA SAMPA ON THE DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZAMBIA BY THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA.

March 1st, 2024

This is not the appropriate time to jump on streams of arguments and play politics. We would like to respond to the announcement from the National Address at State House by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema where he declared the current drought being experienced in the country as a “National Disaster”. We shall among other things highlight some other happenings in our country which we see fit to discuss.
Firstly, we wish to thank the President for taking a bold step to declare the drought incident a disaster as it is indeed a situation that has not only threatened our nation’s food security but energy production included.

As Patriotic Front, we would like to advise that the current situation is not a matter of talk and pass but one that calls on all of us in leadership, government, and all stakeholders to urgently come together with combined efforts to find not only lasting solutions but begin forthwith to implement them. The government must be in the forefront and bring to reality what it promises people and actualize them.

We further suggest long-term measures to combat drought. All areas where farming is done by our people must be prioritized and empowered with solar irrigation systems and technology immediately. We can save some maize, if not all, even now. Constituency Development Funds (CDF) in all constituencies where activities of commercial farming are done should begin to prioritize grants or loans to farmers specifically towards commercial irrigation equipments.

We believe this will not only help save the current crops but enable farmers to continue farming even after the usual farming season passes. We can see a country that took advantage of a bad situation turning itself into an all-year-round producer of maize, cassava, millet, rice, fruits, vegetables, and all other products that depend on rain to grow. Surely we can become a food basket once again.

We also want to advise the government to engage both local and foreign suppliers of maize in advance should the crop yield go to the worst this season. This will help us plan and prepare before the worst comes to our faces. When disaster knocks on our doors, we can prepare before we open the door. Therefore, it is our strongest stance to now move into mitigation measures in preparation for the poor yields expected. It is also important to begin planning on stocking up food reserves before the estimated time for the disaster to manifest after the farming season should the rain patterns stay the same.

Government should further look to promote and guarantee the private sector structured foward contracts of maize importation for 2025. Prices can be agreed now for delivery in say 6 or 12 months. This will mitigate foreign exchange risks in the anticipated maize importation that could escalate the retail prices of mealie meal.

On the rising cost of living and adverse economy currently being experienced, we can not continue politicking at the expense of our citizens who are looking to us for solutions to save them from all these poor conditions. We understand how bad things are and to think of a situation where we produce very low on the staple foods, we can’t afford to slumber . It will be detrimental to do so. These are matters of urgency and should be tackled right with the urgency it deserves. We have to find a way to bring the cost of living down to manageable levels. Our people should afford the basic commodities and it is for the government to ensure this happens through the policies it advances.

In all seriousness, we would like to urge the government to take note of our proposals here and further encourage all stakeholders and political leaders to unite on these matters for the better good of the Zambian people regardless of political divides and differences. This is the time for all of us to work together and fight the poverty that threatens our people.

Lastly, we would like to call upon the government through the Ministry of Energy to strongly consider alternative energy sources such as solar biofuels and others. This drought is not only threatening food security but also the energy sector. The consequences of this reality will be so devastating to the economy. This is because production always and surely gets negatively affected by the loss of electricity whenever we experience load-shedding due to low water levels.