Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) Authorities confiscate Mealie meal bought by Zimbabwean businessman

Authorities confiscate Mealie meal bought by Zimbabwean businessman
January 8, 2009

Authorities at Kariba border post in Siavonga District have intercepted and impounded a truck carrying twenty eight by twenty five kilogram (28X 25 KG) bags of mealie - meal destined for sale in Zimbabwe. The meal mealie is said to have been bought in Zambia .

Siavonga District Commissioner Emily Striedl told ZANIS in Siavonga today that the canter truck that was carrying G.M roller meal bags was impounded at the border yesterday.

Striedl disclosed that all the 28 bags of roller meal belonged to a Zimbabwean business individual who crossed into the neighboring border town of Siavonga to buy the commodity.

She said the confiscated bags have since been stored at Siavonga police station waiting to be disposed off by the courts of law.

The District Commissioner stated that the confiscation of the bags follows a resolution that was arrived at during a stakeholders meeting held on Monday.

She said the district has noted the recent increase in the number of Zimbabweans that were crossing into Zambia on a daily basis and were buying bags of mealie meal in bulk forcing a serious shortage of the commodity in the district.

She stated that during the meeting that was attended by border officials from Zambia Revenue Authority( ZRA), Immigration, police, mealie- meal dealers, local based milling outlets as well as marketeers observed that Siavonga Township has been hit with increasing cases of mealie meal smuggling.

Mrs. Striedl added that the district has recorded a sharp increase in the number of individuals from Zimbabwean that were buying the commodity which they later resell on the black market in their country.

She said the meeting resolved that authorities at Kariba border post border would only allow passage of not more than two bags of mealie- meal on each individual.

A snap survey at Kariba border post this morning found scores of Zimbabweans carrying a bag of either breakfast or roller meal bag bought from Micho and Siavonga main markets.

Meanwhile the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has sent about 500 bags of maize to Siavonga district for sale to people in the district.

District Commissioner Emily Striedl told ZANIS that the bags have been sent to the district , which will cushion the mealie-meal prices.

Striedl said the maize would be sold to members of the public at a price of K55, 000 per 50 kg bag.

ZANIS/LL/MKM/ENDS

Labels: EMILY STRIEDL, FRA, MEALIE-MEAL, SIAVONGA, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 5:16 PM