Zambia is not food secure, says opposition UPND

The opposition UPND is stunned by what it has termed as the numerous lies from President Edgar Lungu that Zambia is food secure.

UPND Chairman for Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security Levy Ngoma said following the lifting of the ban on the export of maize by Government recently, it is common knowledge that most people will resort to export their maize because it fetches for more on the international market.

Mr. Ngoma said UPND is not surprised that such sentiments are coming from someone who has a record of lying in order to appease the hunger-stricken citizens and to win their sympathy so that he benefits politically.

He has challenged President Lungu to avail the UPND as well as the Zambian people with the criterion and data gathering methodology that he used to arrive at such conclusions.

Mr. Ngoma said had President Lungu been to all the four quarters of the country to understand the agricultural phenomena in the country.

He said the UPND is however not surprised that someone who doesn’t mind whether farmers receive their farming inputs on time or do not receive anything at all, would care much if their maize yields are good enough to sustain their livelihood.

Mr. Ngoma said it is unfortunate that President Lungu wants to create an impression that Zambia has a sustainable mechanism of feeding its people when majority Zambians go without three square meals, which, your guess is as good as ours: nshima.

He said it is frightening that the Head of State thinks that Zambia has a lot of food without taking into consideration a few factors such as the maize stocks at time of issuing the false statement; the monthly consumption by the people in the country and what are the expected harvests in the wake of a drought.

Mr. Ngoma said UPND further finds it hard to believe that President Lungu is telling Zambians that the country is food secure when the people of Pemba are feeding on wild fruits such as Masuku, Kawawasha, Vibuyu and Black Jack for survival.

He said the UPND is also surprised at Government’s plan to send relief food to the Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique that has been ravaged by cyclone Idai while most Zambians are grappling with survival, with the closest example being Siavonga District where, according to area DC, Lovemore Kanyama that the people of the District needed more than 800 metric tonnes of maize in relief food.