By CHILA NAMAIKO –
GOVERNMENT has acquired troop carriers and other machinery worth more than K360 million  for the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to enable the service fulfill its many tasks timely and efficiently.
ZNS Commandant Lieutenant-General Nathan Mulenga said that the machinery were expected to arrive in the country by end of this month.
He said it was Government’s hope that the land development equipment procured would contribute to both management and mitigation of national disasters working in collaboration with the Disaster management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
Lt-Gen Mulenga was speaking in a speech read for him by ZNS chief of health services Abynoty Mulela in Choma during the ZNS officers’ annual ball on the New Year’s Eve.
“It is worth mentioning that ZNS has been identified as one of the strategic organisations to speedily and significantly assist Government to address the many challenges the country is facing,” he said.
Lt-Gen Mulenga said the partnership ZNS had with DMMU and other stakeholders had proved crucial in managing and mitigating some of the most challenging disaster scenarios the country had suffered.
He said Government’s intention was to increase the capacity of ZNS to construct more feeder roads and bridges linking rural areas to markets to promote trade among remote communities.
“In the area of food production, Government is happy that the service has embarked on an expansion programme to increase production threefold,” he said.
Lt-Gen Mulenga said the increase would not only add to national food security but would assist Government to stabilise food prices in the country.
In supporting such expansion programmes, he said, the Government had realised the need to mechanise most of the farm operations in the ZNS units.
At the same occasion, ZNS unit Choma commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Kafumukache hailed Government for its concerted efforts in improving the welfare of service personnel.