Aid for East Africa, now and in the future – FAO/WFP

By John Chola – Lusaka/29-07-2011
The food and agriculture organisation of the UN (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) have welcomed the international community’s determined mobilization in response to the situation in the Horn of Africa.
In a statement released today, the two organisations say this follows he emergency meeting on the food and humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa held in Rome on 25 July at the request of the French Presidency of the G20.
They add that this mobilization is aimed first of all at meeting the challenges of the humanitarian and food emergency by coordinating the response of international agencies and humanitarian organizations and by raising the funds required.
They say beyond the emergency, it will be necessary to put into place the long-term solutions needed to guarantee food security in the Horn of Africa.
There will be no sustainable solution to the crisis without measures that enable the countries of the region to become food self-sufficient, develop food crop production and support pastoralism and massively reinvest in agriculture and livestock-raising in the region.
FAO and WFP welcome the fact that the French Presidency of the G20 has put agriculture and food security at the top of its priorities and hail its initiatives such as the Action Plan on Food Price Volatility and Agriculture to mobilize the international community in support of the Horn of Africa’s food security.
They say that that mobilization must not diminish.
Ends...////

IT'S FINAL, THE ELECTION DATE IS SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 -RB

By John Chola

Lusaka, 28/07/2011

The President of Zambia Rupiah Banda has today formally announced Tuesday 20^th September 2011 as date the Southern African country will hold its 2011 tri-partite election.

Banda announced the date for holding the tripartite election in a televised national address.

This comes amid accusations by major opposition political parties that Banda’s government officials have massively abused public resources to campaign for their re-election.

Recently Banda told the nation that cabinet and deputy ministers and other government officials were using public resources such as money and motor vehicles simply to inspect state projects.

However the opposition political parties rubbished Banda’s claim.

The opposition observed that government officials seeking to stand as MPs on ruling party ticket have been going round the country dressed in party campaigning regalia.

Yesterday one of the country’s opposition leaders Brigadier General Godeffrey Miyanda of Heritage Party claimed that the 20^th September 2011 general elections will not be free and fair.

The former Republican Vice President, Brig. Gen. Miyanda noted that the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has been using underhand methods to dupe electorates to vote in its favour.

Ends.....