Dora Siliya

"The country has long discussed economic diversification, and in September 2016, the president took a significant step by announcing plans for a “green revolution” in parliament. Following this direction, the 2017 budget for agriculture saw a boost of over 158%. For us, diversification means not only shifting the economy from mining to agriculture but transforming the agriculture sector entirely. Currently, 70% of Zambia's workforce is engaged in agricultural activities, yet it only contributes 9% to the GDP. My goal is to increase this to 20% within the next few years by prioritizing investment in research and extension services."

"Zambia has been overly reliant on a single crop for too long, with nearly 2 million farming households primarily cultivating maize. To promote crop diversification in 2017, we are introducing a smart subsidy of 75% to support the production of 10 crops, including orange maize, sorghum, millet, groundnuts, cotton, rice, soybeans, and cassava. Previously, the government focused solely on purchasing maize, but now, to encourage private sector involvement, we need to create markets for other crops, especially cassava, which has multiple uses as food, industrial starch, and an export product. A key part of my role is implementing a new communication strategy to help transform Zambia’s food culture."

"Our efforts to establish free trade zones, particularly in Kasumbalesa, are progressing well. The DRC depends heavily on Zambia for its food supply, presenting a substantial market for both major businesses like Zambeef and smaller poultry and egg farmers. We've reached an agreement with the DRC to tackle the informal trade issues along our nearly 1,000 km border, which has complicated formal trade processes. Following discussions with the Minister of Finance, we're looking at ways to formalize this "informal" trade by creating a free trade zone, allowing structured transactions in a unified currency, the dollar. Many companies have been cautious about investing across the border due to regulatory and system concerns in the DRC, but this initiative could open significant new markets and opportunities for Zambia."

"The people of Zambia have consistently opposed gay rights and same-sex marriages."

"Despite taking all necessary precautions, I tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday."

"Going by the recent tantrums by Mr Magande in the Press, it was clear that he was not a serious politician."

"My parents’ advice was that I should stay clear of Frank Mutubila, as he had a reputation for going after any new girl who joined ZNBC. I did stay clear of Frank…” Excerpt from newly releases book titled."

"I have expressed my disappointment with some people who are bent on tarnishing my name and that of government by circulating videos purporting that I gave people money to discredit and injure others."

"I have no idea who the person in the video is and that at no point did I give any person money to discredit or injure anyone."

"The videos are fake and must be treated with the disgust and condemnation that they deserve , I have reported the case to the police so that the culprits are brought to book."

"Such videos are the reason government wants to make sure that it provides a safe cyberspace for citizens to operate in because if anyone can decide they are going to take a video and allege untruth then nobody in society will be safe."

"The internet has placed power in people’s hands and should be used positively and not to distract people from important national issues."

"In fact, I want to belabour the point that videos such as that one are the reason that government wants to make sure that we provide a safe cyber space for citizens to operate in because if anyone can decide that they are going to take a video and allege untruths, then who is going to be safe"