Tag: agriculture

    Change is inevitable, there’s no need to fear it

    Change is inevitable, there’s no need to fear it

    October 29, 2020 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    Information and broadcasting services minister Dora Siliya says they are not ready to hand over power to anyone in 2021.
    “We shouldn’t relax that Edgar azawina since he is an Easterner but if we vote lazily, our friends in Southern Province will challenge us and we will be removed in power. Let’s not vote lazily the way we did on Rupiah. We lost him because we are many but few voted and we lost him. Those eight bags of fertiliser we got under Rupiah disappeared because Sata ate Cassava which doesn’t require fertiliser and you started calling us Paya Farmer and it’s now under President Edgar Lungu that agriculture has been revamped. These elections of next year are not an easy one. It’s war abale anga. It’s a war, we should make sure everyone registers as voters and vote on 12th August 2021 or else we will lose. Napapata, we go wrong, we in government, but forgive us please. Pray for us, we know we have gone through problems in these five years but let’s not lose this presidency because we still have a lot to do with it in our families, communities. We are not only happy for Edgar to be in State House but to work for us. If this presidency leaves, Eastern Province, nobody among us will be alive when it will be back here…Let’s not be lazy. If Edgar Lungu loses next year, good agricultural system will collapse. So we have to put on much effort if Edgar is to win next year because we still have a lot to do. For now, we are not ready to hand over power to anyone unless in 2026 we are going to say ‘now namwe a Tonga mungatoleko ici cinthu but pakali pano usogoleri tikali nao nacocita,” Minister Siliya pleaded with over 300 village headmen and indunas from Eastern Province last Sunday.
    This fear of losing power, of change is wide spread among our colleagues in the current government and ruling party. And it has been openly expressed by many, including the President himself. It has actually become a phobia.
    Philosophizing a little on this issue, I would say we have no alternative to meeting the future, we have no hope but the changes, advances and improvements that the future may bring. Even if our current leaders want to stay in power forever, they won’t be able to do so. Nobody controls the future. No matter what schemes they may pull, other times will come.
    The fear of change or changing things is called Metathesiophobia. It is often linked with Tropophobia which is the fear of moving. The origin of the word Metathesiophobia comes from Greek ‘meta’ meaning change and phobos meaning fear.
    Metathesiophobes often tend to live in the past and may also be depressed. Their phobia makes them unwilling to move, to progress or to change anything. This can severely impact one’s work and personal lives.
    The fear of change is evolutionary in humans. Since times immemorial, man has liked routine. Our internal predispositions – heredity and genetics – teach us to resist change mainly to ‘always feel in control’. But the normal fear of change becomes a full blown phobia when it is irrational, persistent and very intense.
    Fear of being unable to adapt, can also deter one’s adaptability. Insecurity and guilt are other common emotions behind Metathesiophobia.
    Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you are finished changing, you are finished.”
    The fear of change is a natural survival instinct ingrained in humans.
    However, in cases of extreme Metathesiophobia, life can become very difficult. It can negatively impact one’s work and/or personal lives.
    Thought of change or adapting to new environment may lead to a full blown panic.
    Avoiding change, one may go to great lengths, break ties, tell lies or make excuses, manipulate electoral processes, rig elections, commit human rights violations. This can affect many things and lead to irrationality. Often the phobic is aware that his/her fear of change is irrational. However he/she is unable to overcome it.
    The root of Metathesiophobia is deeply embedded in one’s psyche.
    Many people suffer from this phobia but the key is to accept change as part of life. Nothing lasts forever. Change is inevitable, there’s no need to fear it. We must always prepare for it and be ready to embrace it.

    Fred M’membe

    Mwika Royal Village, Chinsali

    Dr M’membe urges Zambians to invest in research

    Dr M’membe urges Zambians to invest in research

    September 21, 2020 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    The Socialist Party says it shall prioritise agriculture among other key sectors once it forms government following the 2021 general elections.

    Speaking on Let The People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix Tuesday this week, party president Dr Fred M’membe said the Socialist Party once voted into office will pay a lot of attention to agriculture as it was one of the three key pillars to its developmental agenda.

    “The biggest priority comes from the biggest challenge that we face, what is the biggest challenge today? I told you we are the fourth hungriest country in the world today, whatever we want to do if we are not able to feed our people we will have challenges, we will not even have the type of human beings that we want to have, a health human being is what we need to have, so we will pay a lot of attention to agriculture,” said Dr M’membe.

    Dr M’membe explained that apart from agriculture the party shall put development premium on health and education as they were complimentary to each other.

    He expressed concern that Zambia today had an agriculture sector that was not been informed by research.

    “We don’t have research that is going on in agriculture seriously. Take for instance, rice production; I have heard people talking about how nice Mongu rice is, how nice Nakonde rice is, but that rice you can’t sale it anywhere in the world, it’s of a very inferior quality, its substandard rice. We have not spent money to research on rice. The last serious research on rice was in Sefula in Mongu, Western Province by JICA in the early 80s and since then nothing has happened,” he said.

    Dr M’membe added that the country needed to invest in research for agriculture.

    “If you go to Thailand today, a leading country in rice production, you go to the University of Bangkok, there is a Faculty just dealing with rice from Bachelor’s Degree to PHD, just dealing with rice production, you can’t compete with Thai rice. Our rice can’t compete with that rice. There is investment in it and Thailand is ripping huge benefits from rice globally, just look whenever you go, you find Thai rice. Bangkok alone has more than 200 varieties of rice,” said Dr M’membe.

    And Dr M’membe said it a was a joke to hear a lot of Zambian leaders talking about fish farming. He noted that while a lot of money has been wasted in aquaculture industry no meaningful research had been done to justify or support such investments. He further noted that the research on fisheries being conduct at Zambia’s universities was not adequate.

    “I have been to all institutions of higher learning, my doctorate research is in fish farming and I have moved from Chiyawa to Kalulushi looking at all the fish ponds that are around as a researcher, I have moved to all the producers of stock feed for fish, I have moved to all the institution that have something to do with fisheries, we are not there and am a fish farmer, I had 11 fish ponds but they were a disaster under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture. There is very little, which we can get from fish farming unless we invest in fish farming research,” charged Dr M’membe.

    He said there was a lot the country was not doing well and urged Zambians to invest a lot in researching.

    “We have been growing beans in Mbala, Nakonde, Isoka, Mafinga and other parts of Northern and Muchinga provinces. What research has gone into beans production? The quality of beans is diminishing, we have grown it for a very long time without any research, our beans cannot compete with Brazilian beans,” he said.

    He said the country was not even producing enough beans to feed the nation.

    “we don’t even have enough beans to feed our own people and beans is not needed just for human consumption, it is also needed for livestock as you can produce stock feed from beans, there is a lot of things which you can do from beans,” Dr M’membe.

    PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    August 3, 2020 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    Today is August 3, a day celebrated as Farmers’ Day to recognise the services rendered by our farmers to our people.

    We all know that Zambia is a land of villages and most of the populations residing in villages are farmers. We dedicate this day to solidarity with our farmers. And on this day we salute all those who toil in the soil to feed us.

    Farmers who have made significant achievements should be honoured on this day.

    The advent of farming was a crucial turning point in the evolution of humankind. Human society has transformed from that of a hunter-gatherer stage to that that of a permanently settled one because of agriculture. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilisation.

    No wonder it is said that the ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.

    Our food is the result of farmers’ hard work. In the earlier days farmers had to face threats only from nature. However, today apart from nature, they also have to face threats from decisions of treacherous politicians, transnational corporations who are the suppliers and owners of seed, suppliers of fertilisers and contract farming.

    The welfare of farmers and peasants have to be ensured. Only then can we ensure the comprehensive development of our society. The social service done by our farmers must be given its due.

    Revival of our agricultural sector is one of the three pillars of your party’s programme – the Socialist Party. Agricultural prosperity forms the basis for the Socialist Party’s comprehensive development of our country.

    It is said that agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own.

    Under the Socialist Party government agriculture will be the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment.

    Farmers are backbone of a country and you can’t stand straight if your backbone is broken. The life of a farmer is very tough as he or she works very hard day and night in all seasons for us.

    Our farmers deserve all our support and respect.

    Issued by Fred M’membe on behalf of the Politburo of Socialist Party

    Mwika Royal Village, Chinsali

    August 3, 2020