Maravi

Chief Mukuni Ng’ombe complains about FRA’s failure to pay farmers

COMMENT - Question: Why does the FRA not pay farmers as soon as they receive their crops? Cash on delivery? What is so difficult about that?

Chief Mukuni Ng’ombe complains about FRA’s failure to pay farmers
By Ernest Chanda in Chibombo
Tue 05 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT

SENIOR chief Mukuni Ng’ombe of the Lenje people in Chibombo district has complained to President Rupiah Banda that farmers in his chiefdom had not been paid by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for their maize.

In a speech read for him by Lenje royal establishment national chairman Boniface Luswanga at this year’s Kulamba Kubwalo traditional ceremony, senior chief Mukuni said farmers were left in the dark after the FRA collected maize a few months ago.

“We have several challenges in this area. One of them is that the Food Reserve Agency has not yet paid farmers for their maize. It has been months now and the farmers are still waiting for payments. We hope that your government will look into this mater,” appealed senior chief Mukuni Ng’ombe.

And later, President Rupiah Banda who was guest of honour pledged to ensure that there are peaceful elections in the country next year.
He also asked traditional leaders to help promote unity in the country.

President Banda who abandoned his written speech and spoke off the cuff throughout said he could not be leader of a nation where people hated each other.

“2011 is a particularly important year for the people of Zambia. The Zambian people will have a chance again to give a new mandate to the leadership that they want to rule this country. And we pray that you chiefs will help promote peaceful elections. Let us face this coming year, 2011 in unity and peace,” President Banda pleaded. “I as President of this country, I will ensure peaceful elections. I will not be a leader of a people who hate one another; I will ensure that peace prevails.”

President Banda constantly pleaded for unity in the nation and asking people not to allow anyone to divide them.

He passionately recounted that Zambians were one despite the varying traditional ceremonies.

“I had a long speech but I will not continue because we did not come for that. We came here to enjoy. Where I come from we have Kulamba, and here you call your ceremony Kulamba Kubwalo. This shows that we are all one, no matter the difference in ceremonies. My Mother was Ngoni and they came from the South. But before that they came from the North, they came from Kola in Angola. So you can see that we are all the same people, and don’t allow anyone to cheat you,”

President Banda further thanked the Lenjes for fathering late President Levy Mwanawasa who later appointed him Republican vice-president.

“I am the successor to the great leader that we had, president Mwanwasa who appointed me his vice-president. Unfortunately he died before he could finish his good programmes for this country. As fate would have it, I’m standing here as his successor and will forever be grateful to you his Lenje parents for giving us that great leader,” said President Banda.

He later presented gifts to senior chief Mukuni Ng’ombe of Chibombo, among them 16 ploughs and a plasma TV.

Labels: BONIFACE LUSWANGA, CHIEF MUKUNI, FRA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 12:14 PM