Maravi

(TIMES) STATE INVITES OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES

STATE INVITES OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES
By Times Reporter

THE Government has asked opposition political parties and other stakeholders to come up with suggestions on how best to address the escalating food prices for the benefit of Zambians.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Brian Chituwo said in Lusaka yesterday that the Government was committed to dialogue, especially over mealie meal prices and shortage of maize in Zambia.

Dr Chituwo stressed that the call for suggestions was not a sign of failure to run the affairs of the country but a show of commitment to consultation as a way of finding solutions to the problems affecting the nation.

“We have so far met officials from the Zambia National Farmers Union, Millers Association of Zambia, Food Reserve Agency and other stakeholders who have all given suggestions,” he said.

He said it would be wrong for some quarters of society to protest over mealie meal prices because it was not the intention of the Government to punish or deny the public the staple food.

Dr Chituwo said the 100,000 tonnes of maize that the Government had asked the Food Reserve Agency to import was not intended for immediate consumption but for reserves in case Zambia runs out of maize.

The minister also defended the Government’s agricultural policy, which he said was aimed at seeing to it that small-scale farmers increased production to contribute to the food basket.

He said the Government was also working towards increasing the fertiliser support programme which he said, if well managed, could contribute to the production of food.
Meanwhile, MMD Copperbelt provincial chairperson, Joseph Chilambwe has challenged Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata to sit down with the Government and offer ideas on national issues now that the elections were over.

Mr Chilambwe said if Mr Sata had good ideas, now was the time for him to come out in the open and offer them to the Government rather than keep those ideas for 2011 which was a long way from now.

He said Mr Sata should not confuse his supporters over the mealie meal prices but try to educate them that milling companies are privately owned and the Government could not just walk in and order the millers to reduce prices.

And Action National Group for Emerging Leaders Copperbelt chapter chairperson, Thabo Kawana, in a separate interview in Kitwe yesterday, advised young people to shun the planned protests.

“I know that young people are the targets for these planned protests but our caution to the youth is that they should show leadership. As young people we cannot afford to allow politicians to be using us for things that don’t add value to our nation,” Mr Kawana said.

Labels: BRIAN CHITUWO, OPPOSITION

posted by MrK @ 9:55 AM