Maravi

Rupiah’s approach is wrong – Nkombo

Rupiah’s approach is wrong – Nkombo
Written by Mwala Kalaluka and Joan Chirwa
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:00:16 AM

MAZABUKA UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo has said the approach that President Rupiah Banda has taken over the genetically modified organism (GMO) maize saga is wrong for a head of state.

And Pelum Zambia research and organisation development officer Martin Bertram has warned that allowing GM maize into Zambia will have far reaching consequences on crop production.

Meanwhile, Zambia Agricultural Commodities Exchange (ZAMACE) executive director Brian Tembo has advised the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to purchase maize through the exchange to promote transparency.

Featuring on Muvi TV's The Matter at Hand programme on Monday night, Nkombo said the recent questionable importation of GMO maize by the FRA may have been an 'organised' crisis.

"I think that the truth has no disguise, no matter how much you want to conceal it, the truth will always come out," Nkombo responded to questions from the programme's presenter Augustine Lungu.

"Government officials tend to have a syndrome of not willing to give full disclosure. They forget their core responsibility that they have a duty to answer to the people who put them there...when you light a fire you have to be sure beyond any reasonable doubt that something is going to burn."

Nkombo said President Banda should have kept away from the matter as much as possible instead of coming to the defense of the people behind the procurement of the GMO maize.

"There is a difficulty in the manner in which the procurement of what was supposed to be non-GMO maize was procured. The procurement may have been an organised crisis. Who is fooling who? Under five months ago, and I have got documents and it is now public knowledge, the government exported maize to a foreign country. Come on, what type of foresight is that?" he asked. "Mark Daniels and GIA International started tying up in the month of December...is it not coincidence that already the head of state, I saw him on TV saying that him and his other family members had nothing to do with it. Come on, it is close to call."

Nkombo said there should be no room for fooling people on this matter, which could have serious and unascertained health implications on the Zambian people.

He urged President Banda to allow the people that had created the mess to answer for themselves.

"What the head of state should have done is to allow the direct players defend themselves. When something has gone wrong, it has gone wrong. There is no disguise to the truth," he said.

"President Banda should have kept his dignity and keep away from this matter, clearly from this matter because the individuals who are involved in this matter are old enough to answer for themselves."

Nkombo said it was vexing that despite Ministry of Agriculture officials travelling to South Africa to ascertain the quality of the maize, no independent superintendent was taken before transportation of the consignment.

He pointed out that it was extremely difficult to manually detect GMO maize, as it tasted just like any other maize, and he commended the local laboratory specialists for acting quickly and effectively.

Nkombo said it would be imprudent for President Banda's administration to backtrack on the country's non-GMO consumption stance just to please their friends in GIA International and Mark Daniels Zambia Limited, who are the suppliers of the maize in question.

Nkombo said the policy not to allow the consumption of GMO, especially in the Zambian staple food, was a machination of the MMD government and he recalled that the late president Levy Mwanawasa, on whose legacy President Banda had ridden onto his presidency, had put his foot down on GMOs.

"I heard the President say we have to open the debate on GMOs, for expediency's sake. I think the answer is no. I think we need to be more transparent," Nkombo said. "You cannot U-turn on your own policy."

Last Friday, FRA board chairperson Costain Chilala disclosed that over 75 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes imported last week by the agency had been sent back to South Africa because it was GMO type. However, Chilala could not state the exact quantities of maize that had been sent back.

Sources at Ministry of Agriculture linked President Banda's son, James, to the maize importation but when contacted James said; "I don't care what anyone prints."

And President Banda said he was not aware of his son's involvement in the importation of maize.

"I've checked because I have seen in the papers. So I understand it has nothing to do with my son. This particular maize, which is coming in now, I don't know who brought it in and how. Regarding my son, as far as I'm concerned I gave you all my sons. Does it mean that anybody who is related to me should cease to participate in whatever is happening in this country? Is this the first time my son has lived? He's been around for a long time and I think quite successful even when I was not President or Vice-President," President Banda said before departure for Tanzania on Monday.

Labels: BRIAN TEMBO, GARY NKOMBO, GMO, MAIZE, MARTIN BERTRAM, PELUM ZAMBIA, RUPIAH BANDA, ZAMACE

posted by MrK @ 9:57 AM