‘MMD-instigated’ violence escalates in Mufumbwe
By Speedwell Mupuchi in Kitwe
Wed 14 Apr. 2010, 03:20 CAT
VIOLENCE allegedly instigated by the MMD is escalating in Mufumbwe with four UPND members being badly assaulted by ruling party cadres. North Western Province minister Daniel Kalenga confirmed the report about violence but dissociated the MMD from it.
Kalenga blamed it on the people who had been taken to Mufumbwe to campaign. North Western Province police commanding officer Febian Katiba said he and other senior staff would be travelling to Mufumbwe to assess what was happening.
Katiba said he could neither confirm nor deny the report as the Mufumbwe officer-in-charge was still compiling a report for him on the occurrences.
Katiba said depending on the volatility of the situation, additional officers might be deployed to check the situation.
North Western Province UPND chairperson retired Colonel Grandson Katambi said violence had escalated in Kikonge area, where the MMD candidate Mulondwe Muzungu hails from.
He disclosed that an area MMD councillor identified as Mankisha together with other MMD cadres attacked a UPND youth Bruce Kapaku on Sunday.
“Right now he is in hospital in Mufumbwe, the matter has been reported to police but they have done nothing. Now this afternoon Monday, I received a report around 16:00 hours that the same MMD led by the councillor again went to beat up our people.
Three people were beaten, they were badly beaten,” he complained. “These are Gideon Dinala, James Kankila and Vincent Kabanda. I even went to the police to find out what they are doing about this councillor and the violence but you will be surprised to hear what they told me that Honourable Kalenga was there five minutes before me and told them that he was worried about the conduct of their cadres and wanted police to take action.”
Col Katambi said the Mufumbwe district commissioner also approached police asking them to deal with the violent MMD cadres.
He said police in Mufumbwe were handicapped to effectively police the whole area because they did not have transport.
“We expected more police officers in the area to avoid violence. If we are to retaliate, we are more, we have the pact here including UNIP, we can overrun them,” he said.
“The people we are setting these youths on are our own mothers and fathers. As a military man, I know what it takes to launch an assault by an aggrieved party on another, but this is not necessary, let MMD practice good politics.”
He said the violence should have been coming from UPND because they were grabbing the seat from the MMD by force but the opposite was the case.
And Col Katambi complained that when the UPND went to deploy its campaigners at Kashima East and West and Mushima schools, authorities there told them they were under instruction not to accommodate them UPND.
“We obliged and left but when we went back to the same area, we found that the same schools have allowed the MMD; they have accommodated the MMD. Now these are areas that are predominantly UPND,” he said.
Col Katambi said the UPND’s approach to the Mufumbwe by-election was to let the best candidate win in the April 29 poll.
When contacted for comment, Kalenga, the MMD campaign manager, said he heard about the report and followed it up.
“I went to hospital to see the patient nicknamed Levy Mwanawasa. I even took some groceries. I was concerned as campaign manager. What was coming out is that he was beaten by Kajilo, the son to our candidate. When I asked him who beat him, he said he was assaulted by unknown people. Kajilo, he said merely went to separate them,” he said.
Kalenga said the victim told him he was able to identify two of his attackers.
He said the UPND should not twist the story that he was concerned about violence by the MMD.
“I am not a cadre, I am provincial minister, I cannot encouraged violence, I phoned the officer-in-charge and the commanding office to ensure that officers are deployed in Mufumbwe. The violence is being brought about by people from outside, we should minimise bringing people from elsewhere,” he said. “In my camp, I have refused bringing people from Lusaka. The situation is not out of hand, it’s under control. It’s my responsibility to ensure that in the province there is peace.”
Kalenga said the MMD campaigns were peaceful and they still had the mandate.
“We are not replacing government, there are a lot of projects and developments by government in Mufumbwe. We have built more schools, the tar road, hospital at a cost of K4.5 billion is nearing completion, we have built over 30 classroom blocks in Mufumbwe which people are seeing, we have sank boreholes, built health centres and houses of agriculture camp officers. Other people will be saying vote for us we will do this,” said Kalenga.
Labels: DANIEL KALENGA, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Read more...
Govt to Open Farming Blocks in all Provinces
Posted on July 13th, 2008
Government has announced that out-grower farming schemes in farming blocks would be opened in all the nine provinces in the country in order to boost agriculture activities and enhance food security. Agriculture and Co-operatives Deputy Minister Daniel Kalenga said government has since embarked on an exercise to put up infrastructure in the farming blocks such as good roads, electricity, water for irrigation which small scale, medium and large scale farmers can utilize to enhance crop production.
Mr. Kalenga said the agricultural sector which will further be promoted through crop diversification in the farming blocks has the ability to contribute to poverty reduction in the country.
The Deputy Minister announced this in Kanakatapa area in Chongwe district yesterday when he officiated at the 32nd Lusaka Provincial and Agricultural Show whose theme is Growth and Diversity through Credit and Finance.
He reiterated government’s committed to supplying subsidized agro inputs to ensuring that vulnerable but viable farmers are supported as they are key players in promoting food security at household, community and national levels.
Mr. Kalenga also disclosed that government has commenced a country-wide construction and rehabilitation of fish ponds.
He added government in collaboration with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved a K664 million for the transformation of Kaunga Rural Development Project based in Luangwa district into a Farmer Training Centre .
And speaking earlier, Lusaka Provincial and Agricultural Show Chairperson, Bernadette Simbwalanga appealed to government to revive the Lima and Co-operative banks where farmers could access soft loans through credit facilities.
Mrs. Simbwalanga further commended government for engaging the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the purchase of agriculture produce.
She has however urged farmers in the country to strive to add value to their crops if they are to compete favourably on the international market.
Meanwhile, chief Mumena of the Kaonde people in Solwezi district has implored government to promote mechanized methods of farming among small scale farmers in Zambian in order to increase food production.
Chief Mumena observed that the current farming methods among many small scale and peasant farmers were not effective enough to address food shortages in the country.
The Chief said Zambian farmers needed to increase food production so as to cushion the negative impact of the looming hike in food prices.
He told ZANIS in an interview that government should therefore partner with traditional leaders in finding means of averting the looming food shortages in the world.
The traditional leader has since urged other chiefs to partner with government in rolling out modern means of food production.
He further called upon his subjects to keep enough food for their domestic consumption.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, BERNADETTE SIMBWALANGA, CHIEF MUMENA, CO-OPERATIVE BANKS, DANIEL KALENGA, FARMING BLOCKS, INFRASTRUCTURE, IRRIGATION
Read more...
Magande disowns Ministry of Agriculture
By Times Reporter
FINANCE and National Planning Minister, Ng’andu Magande says his ministry has given the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives more than K200 billion and that
claims that it was yet to release funds to pay fertiliser suppliers are not true.Mr Magande explained the
budgetary allocation for the ministry this year was
K150 billion which had since been released and that the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives further asked for more
K34 billion under the supplementary estimates which was also released.
Mr Magande in an interview in Lusaka yesterday said another K20 billion was given to the ministry after they asked for the funds to resolve some problems they had, bringing the total to K204 billion.
The minister was reacting to the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives which was quoted as having said the Ministry of Finance and National Planning was yet to release funds to enable it pay the two fertiliser distribution firms - Omnia and Nyiombo.
As far as the Ministry of Finance and National Planning was concerned, there was no outstanding payment for the Ministry of Agriculture and co-operatives and that reports that it had not been funded were not true.
“As far as the ministry was concerned there is no outstanding payment for the Ministry of Agriculture because to date K204 billion has been given to them. If I may ask, how much money is needed to pay the suppliers of fertiliser?” he asked.
When contacted, Agriculture and Co-operatives deputy Minister Daniel Kalenga referred queries to Permanent Secretary, Sam Mundia who refused to comment.
Early this week, Agriculture and Cooperative deputy Minister Albert Mulonga appealed to the Omnia and Nyiombo companies to lift the suspension of fertiliser distribution as it was scouting for K30 billion owed to them.
Mr Mulonga said Government was committed to clearing the debt and that the firms should allow the small-scale farmers to access the commodity under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP).
Labels: DANIEL KALENGA, FERTILIZER, FSP, MAGANDE, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, SAM MUNDIA
Read more...
