By Mwansa Kaumba
The rising cost of living is a direct threat to human dignity and survival, therefore the government must introduce immediate food subsidies and price stabilisation, says Socialist Party (SP) leader Fred M’membe.
In a statement, M’membe said a majority of Zambia workers did not earn wages near the K12,253.72 which has been established by JCTR as what every family of six needs every month on basic needs in the capital Lusaka.
According to the latest JCTR Basic Need and Nutrition report, the cost of maintaining a family has surged by K854.08 in just one month, from K11,399.64 to K12,253.72.
Across the 16 districts monitored, the national average now stands at K7,660.84, with towns like Ndola at K10,449.46 and Solwezi at K9,646.87. M’membe stated that even in districts with the lowest recorded costs, such as Chinsali at K6,043.67, the cost of survival remains far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
He stated that while warnings on the impact of he El Nino-induced dry spells was acknowledged, climate challenges alone do not excuse the absence of deliberate, pro-poor economic policies.
”A responsible government must anticipate crises and shield its most vulnerable citizens from market shocks. Leaving the price of basic food commodities entirely to the mercy of unregulated market forces is an abandonment of the people,” M’membe stated. “The majority of Zambian workers earn wages that are nowhere near K12,253.72. For the unemployed, the elderly, and those surviving in the informal sector, this sustained inflation is a direct threat to human dignity and survival.”
M’membe argued that there must be immediate concrete interventions from the government:
”1. Emergency Food Subsidies and Price Stabilisation: The government must urgently intervene to stabilise the cost of essential agricultural inputs and basic foodstuffs so that ordinary households can afford a decent meal,” M’membe stated. “2. Investment in Climate-Resilient Agriculture: We must move beyond rain-fed subsistence farming by aggressively investing in irrigation infrastructure, water harvesting, and support systems for small-scale farmers across all provinces.”
M’membe also demanded that wages for workers must be reviewed to reflect the true cost of living, alongside an immediate expansion of social cash transfers to protect vulnerable families in both urban compounds and rural villages.
”When basic, everyday nutritional staples like vegetables jump from K763.97 to K1,122.57 for a 40-kilogramme bag, and bananas rise from K18.95 to K29.06 per kilogramme, we are no longer talking about mere statistics. We are talking about malnutrition, empty pots, and parents forced to choose between feeding their children and paying for rent, healthcare, or education,” stated M’membe.
He stated that no Zambian should go to bed hungry in a country blessed with abundant land, water, and natural wealth.
M’membe stressed that economic policies must serve human needs, not corporate profits.
