United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema says the lack of coherency among the leadership of the ruling Patriotic Front government is worrying with ministers and President Michael Sata pulling in opposite direction on policy matters as if they don’t discuss issues in Cabinet.
Hichilema was specifically commenting on the contradictory positions on the export of maize by agriculture minister Bob Sichinga and acting president Edgar Lungu.
Barely 24 hours after Sichinga announced the ban on the export of maize, Lungu held a press briefing to announce the reversal of the decision.
“This is the problem when you seek to go into government without a plan, you would have expected cabinet to have expected cabinet to have discussed the matter but then cabinet
meetings under this regime are rare,” he said. “There is no cohesiveness in terms of policy and planning.”
While there is a looming hunger crisis in the country, the export of maize seems to be
continued as a way of appeasing government aligned exporters who have lucrative contracts.
There are allegations that some PF leaders are also engaged in smuggling of both the maize grain and mealie meal to neigbhouring countries thereby fueling the shortage of the staple food in the country.
But experts say the PF governmemt is failing to provide a clear direction and policy on agriculture which is resulting into a serious crisis that may lead to countrywide hunger this year.
The post Incoherent PF Worries Hichilema appeared first on Zambia Reports.