DROUGHTS WILL KEEP COMING, BUT FAMINE SHOULDN'T - PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
DROUGHTS WILL KEEP COMING, BUT FAMINE SHOULDN’T – PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
April 1, 2025
LUSAKA – President Hakainde Hichilema has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring Zambia’s food security, declaring that while droughts may be inevitable, famine must not be.
Speaking at a high-level development forum in Lusaka, themed “Enhancing Resilience: Innovative Solutions for Strengthening LDCs’ Resilience Against Systemic Shocks,” the president said, “My administration’s strategy and goal is to future-proof the nation’s food supply.”
The head of state stated, “Droughts will keep coming, but famine shouldn’t,” as he announced a major push for irrigation systems and climate-resistant crops.
Mr. Hichilema said, “My government is redirecting funds toward water infrastructure and high-yield seeds to reduce reliance on erratic rainfall. In three years, farmers must harvest even when the skies stay dry,” he vowed.
Acknowledging past shortcomings, President Hichilema admitted that over-reliance on external aid had hindered Zambia’s self-sufficiency. “As of now, that should be a thing of the past.”
“We assumed the world owed us help. That mindset trapped us in poverty,” he said.
With debt consuming half of Zambia’s revenue, he pledged to cut non-essential spending and mobilize resources swiftly. “Hunger won’t wait for budgets we moved money within weeks,” he added, referencing last year’s drought response.
Advocating for a mental shift, the president cautioned against the limiting belief that Zambia is landlocked.
“Everyone should know that we are landlinked, and we can use this region to our advantage in relation to trade.”
UN Under-Secretary-General Ms. Rabab Fatima praised Zambia’s resilience efforts but stressed the importance of global cooperation.
Ms. Fatima said no country fights climate change alone, calling for debt relief and increased investments in green energy.
“Solar power can light homes and power farms – Zambia’s sunshine is an untapped goldmine.”
(C) THE FALCON
