LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – In an effort to provide easily accessible, clean and safe water to local people in its areas of operation, Zambeef Products Plc has donated water points valued at K250,000 to Kafue District’s Makanya village. The water points comprising of 3 3000 litre tanks and 3 2000 litre tanks- have been strategically placed at key locations in the village and are expected to benefit over 300 households.

Zambeefs objective is to augment and support the governments efforts in the operationalisation of the Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation (SDG 6), which focuses on ensuring a clean and stable water supply and effective water sanitation for all people by the year 2030.

The donation is enshrined in Zambeef’s dedication to working with government to secure access to water and improve water supply in the country.

Kafue District Commissioner (DC) Maurice Hikapulwe commended the gesture and said it signified the private sector’s commitment to working with government to improve water supply in the country.

“Communities in Zambia continue to experience lack of access to a clean and safe water supply and majority of people are forced to walk long distances just to access it. It is under this precipice that government has prioritised the improvement of water supply in the country and launched the Zambia Water Investment Programme which aims to put an end to this problem once and for all,” said Mr Hikapulwe.

“One key area this programme highlights is partnership with the private sector because we have recognised the importance that joining forces with companies like Zambeef in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

Speaking during the handover ceremony, the DC noted that Zambeef was a key indicator of the success of public/private partnerships due to its commitment to extending support to government in enhancing local communities’ social and economic wellbeing.

Zambeef Chief Executive Officer, Faith Mukutu said the company’s environmental and social action plan aimed to target all areas along the value chain-from its undertakings, all the way to the end users, ensuring they benefited from its operations.

“At Zambeef, we believe delivering a positive impact on our communities begins with us recognising areas which need to be addressed in our endeavour to support local people and promote the best sustainability practices,” said Ms Mukutu. It was noted that access to safe and affordable drinking water was not only key, but that it required the Company to invest in adequate infrastructure and the provision of the sanitation facilities and encourage.

“As one of the leading private sector players in Zambia, we understand the importance of investing in water resources and we are committed to supporting this move for the very reason that water is life, and without it, we cannot survive as humans.”

“This is why as a business that relies on the resource for our day-to-day activities, we continue to invest in systems that will see us preserve water not only for ourselves but also for surrounding communities,” she added.

Meanwhile, Chieftainess Chiawa urged the community members to form committees that would oversee the management of the water tanks to ensure they are sustained.

“We need to look after this water because if you don’t, it will be short-lived and things will be difficult,” she concluded.

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About Zambeef Products Plc
Zambeef Products PLC (“Zambeef”) is the largest integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company in Zambia and one of the largest in the Southern Africa region. Zambeef is quoted on both the Lusaka Securities Exchange and the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

It is involved in the primary production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, eggs, dairy, fish, flour, stock feed and day-old chicks throughout Zambia and the surrounding region. It operates 236 retail outlets in Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana.

Zambeef also has one of the largest row cropping operations in Zambia, growing maize, soybeans and wheat. Zambeef plants nearly 23,000 hectares annually, with most of the resulting crops being used in the Zambeef animal feed and flour milling businesses.

Zambeef employs 7,082 people.

More information is available at www.zambeefplc.com