16 May 2008
Ndola — VICE President Rupiah Banda has assured corporate organisations donating various items to flood victims that the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) will be transparent and accountable in its administration.
Mr Banda said that if some organisations felt the need to advise on the best ways DMMU could be run, they were free to make suggestions.
Mr Banda said this yesterday when he received a consignment of Gorji's Protemin Instant Meal valued at K175 million and K20 million from Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC).
Mr Banda said that the DMMU was finalising its master plan to incorporate donors and others from the corporate world so that they were able to monitor the operations of the unit.
"We want to be transparent in disaster management that you can see the mouth to which a particular food donation has been targeted," Mr Banda said.
He said President Mwanawasa appreciated the donations to disaster victims, as it was an indication that donors had confidence in the operations of the Government.
Mr Banda said Zambia mourned with China over the recent deaths in an earthquake.
The suffering of the earthquake victims in that country was not any different from the scenario that flood victims went through during the last rain season.
The recent crop survey indicated that the country would record less yields owing to the excessive rain.
As a result, he said, the country would need to move more food surplus to areas that would record deficit.
"Some of the people who will need food do not have the capacity to buy it and therefore they need Government support," Mr Banda said.
Speaking earlier, McQuinn and Phillips, managing director Henry Gorji said that optimal health was dependent on good nutrition.
Mr Gorji said that it was for this reason that his company decided to donate the consignment valued at K175 million.
He requested Mr Banda for a feedback from flood victims that would consume the product.
He said that the product donated contains proteins and vitamins, which were consumed in low supply by most Zambians.
And CEC managing director Neil Croucher said the effect of the floods made his organisation reflect on the best ways of assisting the victims.
Mr Croucher said CEC decided to contribute as part of its social responsibility.
He said CEC did not only want to be construed to be socially responsible to the localities in which it operated hence the donation.
He said it was important that the entire population benefited from the CEC achievements.
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