156,000 Bags of Maize Brought to Gwembe, Thanks to Government.

Since January 2024, 156,195 bags of maize grain, each weighing 50 kilograms, have been delivered to Gwembe District in Southern Province, thanks to efforts coordinated by the central government. The maize was procured by the Community Sales Programme under the Food Reserve Agency, and has brought much needed relief to a community that was particularly affected by last year’s drought.  

Gwembe District Commissioner Killion Chikandula expressed gratitude to President Hichilema’s administration for its robust response to his community’s needs, in an interview with ZNBC News.

Demonstrating the government’s commitment to ensuring the welfare of Gwembe District, Agriculture Permanent Secretary Yvonne Mpundu paid a visit last week, and celebrated the achievements with the District Commissioner. She told him, “since we declared the drought in the country a national emergency, no one has been lost. In short, we are saying the New Dawn government is indeed waking”.

However, it is necessary that the government is prepared for similar events in the future. Therefore, Ms Mpundu also attended the launch of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change, hosted in Gwembe. The programme will seek to ensure that communities like Gwembe are resilient, and as prepared as possible to tackle the adverse effects of climate change.

Combining prompt government relief in emergencies, with empowering communities to support themselves signals a multifaceted approach to protecting Zambians from environmental pressures. This will prove essential in the future.