Sat, 09 Sep 2017 11:54:06 +0000
By Rogers Kalero
THE Ministry of Defence is moving away from being a consumer gentility and turning to agriculture and food production in Zambia, says Defence Minister Davies Chama.
Mr Chama said the ministry was not only interested in issues of defence and security, but was also in food production through its active involvement in agriculture.
Speaking yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu in the company of senior Zambia National Service (ZNS) officers, Mr Chama said he was sure that his ministry through its relevant wings like the ZNS , would significantly contribute to food security in Zambia.
“The ZNS is doing a commendable job in agriculture. They are contributing significantly to the food security in the country. So I can tell you that we are moving away from being a consumer ministry and we are now becoming an economic ministry through our involvement in agriculture and food production in the country,” said Mr Chama.
And when asked by Mr Mpundu if the ministry would take on board youths in the streets to train them in agriculture and other skills, Mr Chama said the arrangement could only be done after consultation with stakeholders and parents of the children.
He said issues of democracy had proved to be a problem in Zambia because even well intended programmes by government were being politicized as people start bringing in issues of rights.
“This democracy has brought problems in our country. When government decides to take youths from the streets to train them in various skills, people will rise to say you are infringing on the rights of the children. Even parents of the child who are not seen, will come from nowhere,
“This is the problem in our country, everything is politicized. So unless stakeholders including parents of the children agree, we can’t take the children in the streets to train them,” Mr Chama said.
And speaking earlier, Mr Mpundu said his office had continued to enjoy a cordial relationship with the ZNS and other wings of the ministry.
Mr Mpundu said the ZNS and the Zambia Army were always responding positively whenever his office called for help especially retrieving bodies from the Kafue River.
