Posted Oct 02, 2009
Namwala, October 2-ZANIS-CHIEF Chilyabufu of Itezhi Tezghi District says people in his area are still ignorant about the National Constitution a making process due to lack of continuous sensitization.
And Chief Chilyabufu says it was wrong for government to regulate the media as doing so would greatly compromise democracy saying that dissented views would be stifled by government.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Namwala District today, His Royal Highness Chief Chilyabufu said there was need for government to do what he called proper sensitizations in communities on the work of the NCC to enable people effectively contribute the constitution making process.
Chief Chilyabufu explained that people in his area were deprived the opportunity to contribute to the constitution making process because of lack of continuous community sensitization by the NCC.
He said people in rural areas had a lot of issues which they would have contributed had they been sensitized properly.
“it is sad that no proper sensitization on the part of the NCC was done to enable communities contribute meaningfully to the constitution making process”, said His Royal Highness Chilyabufu.
And Chief Chilyabufu who is in Namwala to attend the Shimunenga ceremony taking place tomorrow said it was wrong for government to try to regulate the media saying such a move would greatly compromise democracy as dissenting views would be stifled.
He said government should let the media regulate itself to allow different views on the governance of the country to be heard.
He said government should not forget that the media acts a conduit through which ordinary people can air their grievances. He said therefore, governments” intentions to regulate the media would be tantamount to “silencing the voices of ordinary people”.
Meanwhile, Chief Chilyabufu expressed ignorance of the Food Reserve Agency’s presence in his area.
He said farmers in his area were frustrated by the delay by FRA to buy maize in the area and sold all their maize to briefcase businessmen.
He called the government to consider buying maize produce early in rural areas to prevent farmers from selling their maize to unscrupulous maize dealers.
When asked that the FRA had set maize buying depots in all the chiefdoms countrywide, Chief Chilyabufu responded,” as far as am concerned there are no FRA officers in my chiefdom as such farmers sold/selling all their maize to briefcase businessmen”.
He named the depots in his area as Kasanka,Shampumbe,Buyangwe,Banamwazi,Kabanaga, and Mpombo but insisted no maize had been bought by FRA in all these depots.
Ends/ZANIS/FM.