ZNS directed to help mitigate effects of climate change

Republican president Hakainde Hichilema has directed the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to help mitigate the effects of climate change by embarking on tree planting.

Speaking when he commissioned ZNS officer cadets intake 04 of 2020 at the ZNS Kafue training camp, president Hichilema says government will facilitate a robust support arrangement to ZNS and other units as a way of circumventing the effects of climate change which is affecting the global community.

Mr. Hichilema has further directed ZNS to initiate home grown solutions such as actively participating in the green energy area including afforestation of indigenous species which are able to survive harsh conditions and be able to address the rampant deforestation.

The president also stressed the need to save lives amidst the fourth wave of covid-19 which he says is seemingly not getting better.

President Hichilema has appealed to the general citizenry to get vaccinated as vaccination is the critical element the country cannot underrate.

Speaking earlier, ZNS Commandant Lieutenant General Maliti Solochi said during the last farming season, the service planted 200,275 hectares of maize, 870 hectares of soybeans and 1,053 hectares of wheat against the backdrop of covid-19 challenges.

Meanwhile minister of defense Ambrose Lufuma says the ministry will continue to source for resources to conduct more recruitments.

Mr. Lufuma says the recruitment of the cadets was a challenge as they were many youths who desperately wanted to join the rank and file of ZNS, but it was not possible to employ all the youths who had right qualifications.