The opposition ZAPU party has urged the government to declare the 2023/2024 farming season a national disaster due to the severe drought prevailing across the whole country.
ZAPU National Organiser, Ndodana Moyo, told CITE that thousands of farmers have already lost their crops and livestock, adding that declaring the drought a national disaster will ensure that people receive aid on time. Said Moyo:
I have been travelling to many rural areas and see that many families if not thousands, have lost their crops to the heat and lack of rain, not to mention the effect of drought on livestock as well. This means more people will face starvation.
I, therefore, implore the Government to declare this farming season a national disaster so that people receive the necessary interventions and aid on time.
If there is no or little rain, it’s obvious people will lose their crops, vegetables, and livestock.
This is why, as ZAPU, we are saying the farming season should be declared a national disaster because it’s affected by drought.
ZAPU’s call comes after the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, declared the ongoing drought in that country a national disaster and emergency.
Hichilema said Zambia had gone without rain for five weeks at a time when farmers needed it the most.
Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, some areas last received effective rainfall in the second week of January.
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