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Government helps to avert hunger in Kabompo
Kabompo, February 28, ZANIS ——– Government has off-loaded 2,000 x 50kg bags of maize through Food Reserve Agency (FRA) on the market in Kabompo district for the public to buy at K60 rebased in order to discourage unscrupulous traders who have been selling the commodity at K300 rebased per 50 kg bag.
Kabompo District Commissioner Dennis Kanyakula confirmed the development to ZANIS in Kabompo today.
Mr Kanyakula said shops in Kabompo had last week run out both Roller and Breakfast mealie meal which made people affected by the shortage in the area storm his office demanding government immediate intervention.
Mr Kanyakula said the PF government listened to the cries of the people and off-loaded the 2,000 x 50kg bags FRA maize onto the market for the public to buy.
The District Commissioner has since appealed to Olympic and Antelope milling companies to open outlets in Kabompo and sale their mealie meal in the district now that the tarring of the infamous M8 road has been successfully completed, adding that the distance is much shorter that in less than three hours one can reach Kabompo by motor vehicle from Solwezi.
He said the residents from all walks of life stormed his office to ask the government to direct FRA to off-load maize on the market for the public to buy at affordable price and prevent hunger.
The price of maize on the market in Kabompo this month increased from K100 rebased in January to K250 rebased per 50kg bag.
Maize price in small quantities in Kabompo also increased from K20 per 20 litre container to K100 and that of cassava from K15 per 20 litre tin to K30 rebased.
Mr Kanyakula who had later addressed the crowd and assured them that government would off-load 2,000 x 50kg bags of FRA maize onto the market for the general public to buy to avoid hunger situation going out of proportions in the area.
He said the sale of the commodity to the public would be controlled by his office to avoid corrupt practices and hunger from getting out of hand as most households including the vulnerable were catered for.
Meanwhile police in Kabompo have impounded a Mitsubishi fuso truck, registration number ACL 6147 laden with 131 x 50kg bags of FRA maize contrabands suspected to have been bought at FRA maize depot out of the 2,000 x 50kg bags government had this week off-loaded on the market for sale to the public.
Both Kabompo District Commissioner Dennis Kanyakula and a close police source in the district confirmed the development to ZANIS in Kabompo today.
Mr Kanyakula said the seized maize was now being sold to Kabompo residents at K60 rebased by police in Kabompo because it was meant to benefit Kabompo residents and not Zambezi or Chavuma while the vehicle and driver would be released.
Mr Kanyakula has also appealed to investors to go to Kabompo to invest in the agriculture, mining and tourism in order to create employment for the rural unemployed youths as a way of putting more money in their pockets and eradicate poverty.
He said Kabompo district has a huge agricultural potential with plenty of water for irrigation from the Kabompo, Chikonkwelo, Mumbezi, Katuva, Lunyiwe, and Kalwilo rivers from which water can be drawn for growing of wheat, rice, sugarcane and citrus fruit trees.
