LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes
@SunZambian
CHIEF Chikanta of the Tonga speaking people in Kalomo has appealed to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and the private sector in the business of selling maize and mealie meal to consider bringing them closer to the villagers in various chiefdoms.
The traditional leader said because of poor rainfall that Zambia experienced last year, crops in Southern Province did not do well resulting in poor harvests and hunger.
Chief Chikanta said it was costly for the villagers to move long distances such as to Choma and Kalomo to buy maize or mealie meal.
“Because of the hunger situation that is slowly increasing in various chiefdoms in Southern Province we will be happy if FRA or other stakeholders involved in selling foodstuffs to move into the chiefdoms so that villagers could be met half way,
“Most of the villagers are selling their livestock to buy maize or mealie but it becomes costly for them because depending from which chiefdom they belong to they have to spend more than K50.00 for transport going and coming back so it’s a huge cost on our people,” he said.
Chief Chikanta explained that, most villagers had the money but could not buy the food they required because of costly distances they had to travel to reach selling points.
Chief Chikanta said he held discussions with FRA region office in the Province if they could meet their villagers in various chiefdoms half way but the officers raised issues of security.
He was however hopeful that FRA could agree and consider the security measures that they had discussed so that villagers could have access to maize or mealie meal.
