The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church has called for stiffer punishment on individuals bent on depriving the nation of its staple food, mealie meal through smuggling.
SDA Northern Zambia Union Conference President Pastor Tommy Namitondo says smuggling of the commodity into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will continue causing shortage of the product in Zambia if tougher punitive measures are not imposed.
Pastor Namitondo adds that it is the desire of the church to ensure that the country is spared from food insecurity because of the criminality.
And speaking when he congregated at Lubengele Main SDA Church President Hakainde Hichilema says his government will continue to foster actualisation of what his party promised while in opposition.
President Hichilema has since concluded his two-day working visit on the Copperbelt Province where he also inspected ongoing road works on Chingola-Kasumbalesa road.
By Lovemore Sondashi