SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
SENIOR Chief Kalindawalo of the Nsenga speaking people of Petauke in Eastern Province has called for more relief food to address hunger which has hit his chiefdom.
In an interview, the traditional leader said most villages in his chiefdoms have been affected by hunger due to poor harvest recorded in the 2018/2019 farming season.
He said he was happy that government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) had sent some relief food to some villages in his chiefdom but appealed for more.
“The 2018/2019 yields have been very poor, so we appeal to government for more relief food due to the drought which affected us,
“Much as we appreciate government for sending relief food to some of the villages in my chiefdom areas, I wish to make my earnest appeal for more to cater for rest of the people in villages that have not yet received,” said the chief
He said just like it was in other parts of Zambia that experienced crop failure, Kalindawalo chiefdom and Eastern Province in general had not been spared due poor rains in the last farming season.
Meanwhile, Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund (PEIF) national coordinator Clement Tembo said his body would endeavour to be part of the solution to the hunger situation Zambia was experiencing.
Mr. Tembo told the Sun that the fund was supplementing the efforts of DMMU in distributing relief food to people who faced with hunger across Zambia
He said the people of Kalindawalo chiefdom and other areas in Petauke District would be given mealie meal.
Mr Tembo said the initiative would not only empower people with tools and capital but also feed them so that they did not consume the funds which the PEIF would give them to do businesses.
He has assured the traditional leaders in Zambia that his team would give empowerment tools and relief food to the vulnerable people without segregation.
