By JULIUS PHIRI  –
THE Chipata District Farmers Association (CDFA) is disappointed with the arrest of five farmers in the district for protesting over delayed payments by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
CDFA coordinator Virgil Malambo described the arrest of the farmers as harassment.
Mr Malambo expressed disappointment that the Police arrested the farmers who were merely demanding money which was rightfully theirs.
The five farmers were arrested for disorderly conduct in Chipata after they protested over delayed payments for maize sold to the FRA.
The five were among other farmers who attempted to march to the Eastern Province Permanent Secretary’s office on Monday.
Police arrested the five for disorderly conducted after they temporarily blocked the Umodzi Highway.
“Some of the farmers who are being harassed, sold their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) as far back as July,” Mr Malambo said.
He said Government should just look for money to pay the farmers rather than intimidate and threaten them.
Caritas Chipata good governance coordinator John Mthaziko Zulu also expressed disappointment at reports that some senior Government officials in the province used bad words towards farmers when they demanded for their money.
He said it was unacceptable that senior Government officials should be using bad language on the farmers, instead of helping to find a solution.
Meanwhile, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) provincial coordinator Maxon Nkhoma observed that farmers have the right to demand for their money.
He wondered why farmers should be arrested for demanding for their money when Government had promised to be paying them two weeks after selling the maize to FRA.