Maravi

'Zambians are migrating to Mozambique'

'Zambians are migrating to Mozambique'
By Chibaula Silwamba in Petauke
Wednesday May 16, 2007 [04:00]

SEVERAL Zambians in chief Mwanjabantu’s area are migrating to Mozambique in search of fertile land for farming. An agriculture extension officer and some local people confirmed the mass migrations. Kaulo village headman Edwin Mwenda said several of his relatives had migrated to neighbouring Mozambique, where there was fertile land for farming.

He said agricultural land on the Zambian side was no longer fertile. “Some people have gone to Mozambique because we have shortage of fertile land and it’s difficult to get subsidised fertiliser, which is given by the Zambian government,” Mwenda observed. “But the soil in Mozambique is very fertile and there is no need for fertiliser.”

Mwenda also said the traditional leaders in Mozambique had told Zambian farmers that want to farm there to relocate to that country. He said if the situation was to be addressed, the Zambian government needed to change the system of fertiliser distribution.

“The way fertiliser is distributed is dubious and most people don’t get fertiliser. So they prefer to go to Mozambique,” Mwenda said. “Can you imagine some people who paid for fertiliser have not been given fertiliser to date?”

Kaulo village is about 15 kilometers from the Zambian border with Mozambique.

Another resident Abraham Tembo said local Mozambicans and their traditional leaders were troubling the Zambians farming in that country. “Most of the Zambians that are farming there have been warned to stop if they don’t want to cross and start living there. Following those threats most of them have moved to Mozambique,” said Tembo.

And an agriculture extension officer confirmed the development. “Farmers are crossing to Mozambique everyday,” said the agriculture extension officer who did not want to be named.

Labels: CHIEF, FARMERS, MOZAMBIQUE

posted by MrK @ 4:44 AM