Shang’ombo District Commissioner, Mubita Siyamana has appealed to government to increase the number of beneficiaries for the wetland cropping programme.

Mr Siyamana says 2,000 is a small number looking at the big population and the hunger situation in the district. 

He further expressed happiness with the programme, saying that the wetland programme is a timely intervention as the district is still recovering from the 2022/23 poor harvest season.

He said this during a courtesy visit on his office by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services officials who were in the district to check on the progression of the wetland programme.

“This program is a timely intervention as the district is still recovering from the 2022/23 poor harvest season,” he said. 

Mr Soyamana has called for stiff punishment for beneficiaries who sell their fertiliser inputs.

“I would like to call on the government to help us end this bad vice of beneficiaries selling fertilisers,” he said.

In response, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Director, Patricia Muyamwa said that the law will take its course on offenders who are selling input fertilisers meant to alleviate poverty.

She said that she was happy that Shangombo was on top of things with the emergency wetland programme. 

Community Development Child Development Director, Beatrice Muyambango emphasised on need for child care inclusion whenever meetings were held because children are the future leaders, saying leaving them out means neglecting the future.