YESTERDAY, we published a photo of farmers sleeping next to the Stanbic Bank ATM in Mkushi district. The farmers were seeking shelter outside the bank after failing to get their money for which they supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency. The photo, taken by one of our correspondents, showed the farmers covering themselves with blankets as they braved cold, rainy nights while waiting for their hard-earned money. It was a heart-breaking photograph. Unsurprisingly, it instantly went viral, drawing emotional and angry reactions from citizens across the country. Instead of responding with empathy and urgency, the official UPND page rushed to defend the situation. The page argued that all farmers had been paid the previous day and that those captured...
