The Zambia National Service (ZNS) command means business; the institution has set it itself on a path of tremendous growth as it should, utilizing its available capacity and skill.
Under the new command, the service has continued stepping up to complement the New Dawn Administration’s policies among which is the eradication of poverty in the country.
Commander Lt Gen. Maliti Solochi has been relentlessly pushing to ensure the service contributes to lowering the cost of living amidst the prevailing economic challenges by taking part in production of mealie meal, Zambia’s staple food. The Eagle brand of mealie meal being produced by ZNS and being sold at reasonable prices is so far selling out whenever offloaded on the market.
With several measures being put in place, analysts say the cost of food will eventually begin lowering to much more attainable levels compared to the past 10 years.
Additionally, Lt Gen. Solochi wants an equitable Zambia where citizens will be affording three meals a day.
This is why ZNS stepped in with the sale of their branded top notch mealie to help fulfil President Hichilema’s vision.
To the delight of Zambians, ZNS is selling a 25kg bag of Eagle breakfast mealie meal at K150.
Among the many areas that have benefited from the sale of the said mealie meal are Kaunda Square, Chawama, Mtendere and Chongwe Markets.
In Chawama alone, thousands of bags of breakfast mealie meal sale at a supersonic speed adding. ZNS has said it will keep going round to offload the commodity at very affordable prices.
The assurance to the Zambians is that ZNS will continue selling mealie meal at affordable prices.
Asked if there are plans to have more ZNS Milling plants, Lt Gen Solochi recently said ZNS understands that for peace to thrive, food is needed, adding that President Hichilema is supporting all wings to create a food secure Zambia.
The contribution by ZNS to the country’s food security has not gone unnoticed as some stakeholders such as Harry Kalaba, leader of the Citizens First Party, stressed the need for ZNS to start acquiring land on the large scale so that a large quantity of maize is grown for the purpose of milling.
“The Zambia National Service, their job is food security. We need them to start getting mealie meal. Government needs a deliberate policy to maintain the price of a staple food. What they have done is to release the strategic reserve of the millers that they have trust to give them mealie meal for two months. We need ZNS to begin doing mealie meal and have state farms. That would be for the purpose of maintaining the staple food,” Kalaba recently said.