By PETER SICHALI
SHORTAGE and high prices of mealie meal the country is experiencing is as a result of economic sabotage by the opposition, former consular general to China Robert Kalimi has claimed.
Mr Kalimi claimed the shortage of mealie meal was a scheme by the opposition to portray a picture that the PF had failed to govern the country.
He said it was unfortunate that prices of mealie meal had continued to escalate despite government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) releasing cheaper maize to millers.
“The opposition is practicing outdated kind of politics where they think artificial shortage of mealie meal will make people hate government,” Mr Kalimi said.
Mr Kalimi said he said the opposition was wrong to believe that high price of mealie meal would cause people to turn against the government.
The former envoy said the same people that were allegedly funding gassing had now resorted to economic sabotage after failing to succeed with their plans.
He said government should investigate and ensure those conniving with millers to sabotage the economy were brought to book.
In a statement, Ms Zulu said that Zesco was joining the world to celebrate International Women’s Day and they perceived women as key players in the running of households, communities and the nation at large and could therefore make good ambassadors of the energy efficiency effort.
“We call on women to take the lead and migrate to using gas, solar and energy efficient lighting as alternative energy sources. We urge women to deliberately promote the complete switching-off of electrical appliances when not in use,” she said.
Ms Zulu said that the simple acts if aggressively pursued could help reduce pressure on the national grid and had the potential of helping the country to save some power, which could be channeled to other areas.
“We appeal to women to deliberately and consciously make a difference and push the energy efficiency initiative agenda forward,” she said.
Ms Zulu said that choosing gas and solar as energy sources would also go a long way in supporting a cleaner and greener environment.
She said this year’s International Women’s Day theme was ‘I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights’.
