Rural areas engine for food production

RURAL areas are crucial to the current developmental projects the government has embarked on, as they are a source of the country’s food production, says Msanzala member of Parliament Peter Daka.

Mr Daka said the PF government was ensuring that all campaign promises were fulfilled for the benefit of the citizens, adding the rural areas were key.

The lawmaker told the Daily Nation in an interview that the government was working on the bridges and roads that were in a deplorable state and making it difficult for the people, especially farmers to transport their products.

The Lutwazi Bridge were constructed by the Road Development Agency at a cost of K10 million was expected to be handed over to the government in March 2018 after completion.

Mr Daka said it was his duty to ensure he inspects and explained to his people the different developmental projects implemented in his constituency, adding currently there was a construction of Lutwazi Bridge at Chief Nyamphande’ s area and Kasangazi bridges that had been constructed.

He said the government’s effort and resiliency was to see that good things were taken to the rural parts of the country in its quest to improve the agricultural activities that form the basis of livelihood for most rural people.

“This has come at a right time when people are ferrying farming inputs, owing the fact that the bridges had been for many years in a deplorable state.

“The PF Government has put in place programmes ahead to work on the road networks, and as the representative of the people, we have a mandate to take development to the people, as we stand between Government and the people,” he said.

He said there was need to access remote parts of the country, adding that passable feeder roads open up an area to development and since Government has made it its business to take development to the people, he had a great responsibility on their hands.

“The electorates have the right to know what the Government is doing to improve their welfare and as the people’s representative were expected to explain those programmes and policies to make them understand what plans were ahead for their benefit,” he said.

Mr Daka said the government was doing everything possible to ensure all the people of Zambia benefit from the country’s resources, adding people living in rural areas could only be appreciated for their hard work through improving their livelihood by giving them good roads, access to health and education among other things.

He said the rural people were part of Zambia and, therefore, were entitled to benefit from the programmes that Government had put in place, adding that it was for that reason President Lungu had taken agriculture as a priority to ensure small scale farmers benefited as well.

And Lutwazi ward councillor, Anna Malumbe noted that the bridges would ease residents’ movement in the area, saying it was a challenge to pupils crossing Lutwazi River and have access to lessons at the nearby school due to the bridge that was in a bad state. By JOHN KOMBE

CHARCOAL traders in Chongwe have cried foul at the way the council has treated them.

They have been relocated to a new trading area, but most of them feel the place was too far from the central business district.

One trader told the Daily Nation that, charcoal had nothing to do with cholera and as such the move by the council was unfair. “We have been asked to move to a place very far from the central businesses district, this is unfair. Our business is not a food business and cannot cause cholera to escalate. Today, the council even came and confiscated our merchandise. How are we going to survive with such intimidation and ill-treatment?” he asked.

Meanwhile, area councilor, Mr Juvemalis Mulimbika has advised all marketeers and vendors to adhere to the directive as it was meant to safeguard the lives of the general population.

“The relocation exercise in the central business district is going on well so far. The market committee must be commended for the good work, but as usual you will always have people who take long to see sense in good intentions. My appeal is to all marketeers and vendors to put the interest of the public before their own. Others have moved, but those who decided to defy the directive can only have themselves to blame” he said. Mr. Mulimbika told the Daily Nation that, the task of relocating vendors to legal trading areas was not an easy one. “The business population is overwhelming and the market is not enough to accommodate the soaring numbers. The market association committee are working tirelessly in this exercise. This has not been easy and so the team must be commended for the proactive stance” he said.

Mr. Mulimbika revealed that the council and committee had identified and prepared an alternative trading area which was ready for use and so there was no need for bickering.