Maize demand outstrips supply
Monday, 28 March 2011 20:30
By Obert Chifamba
IN 2008, Zimbabwe harvested less than 500 000 tonnes of maize. Two years down the line, maize production more than doubled in 2009 and 2010 to 1,27 and 1,35 million tonnes respectively.
According to a FAO/WFP statement, Zimbabwe has 1,66 million tonnes of cereals available, against a total needs forecast of 2,09 million tonnes in the marketing year 2010/11 (April/ March).
"This leaves a 428 000 tonne shortfall," Liliana Balbi, the team leader of the FAO Global Information and Early Warning System, said.
What is however, notable is the increase in maize production that is largely attributed to a subsidised Government credit system for far-mers as well as an agricultural input assistance programme by the government, UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations.
These are credited with distributing nearly 140 000 tonnes of fertiliser and top dressing, and 22 373 tonnes of maize seed, to more than 700 000 households.
The 1,8 million hectares planted to maize this year was a 30-year historical high and represents a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
Despite the aforementioned increase in yields and hectarage, the country still does not have enough for all citizens making it vital to up productivity.
However, a significant chunk of land under cultivation was not mirrored in the production levels, which had only increased seven percent from the previous year.
The average (hectare) yield of maize has however, declined for the past 15 years.
The FAO/WFP report noted that national maize yields had decreased to 0,75 tonnes/ha, from 0,82 tonnes/ha recorded the last season.
Yields decreased in all farming sectors, with the exception of commercial farms, which recorded an average increase of 6 percent over the previous season.
Nationally, yields are just below the 10-year average (2000-2010) of 0,87 tonnes/ha and likewise, millet and sorghum yields have also fallen.
Despite the introduction of improved maize hybrids, their ready adoption by the farmers has been hindered by low producer prices, inefficient marketing arrangements and above all, the inability of producers to obtain regular supplies of fertilisers at economic prices.
Where the new and improved varieties have been adopted, ascending yields have been recorded and producers have gone beyond the usual 2 tonnes per hectare that is common with most farmers.
The potential for output growth has naturally been hindered by marketing difficulties and recurrent shortages of basic agricultural inputs like seed and fertilisers while prices of fertilisers have remained very high for farmers to manage.
Zimbabwe's maize crop, just like in any country in southern Africa, is vulnerable to drought and in the absence of government support, domestic maize production is therefore not competitive versus the imports that come in to fill the perceived deficits.
But with mitigating factors in place, some of which include reverting to irrigation and rolling out comprehensive support programmes, yields of maize can easily change for the better regardless of the incidence of a dry spell somewhere in the course of the season.
Malawi has done very well raising its yields from less than 2 million tonnes just two seasons ago to 3,5 million tonnes this year.
According to a FAO/WFP statement, Zimbabwe has 1,66 million tonnes of cereals available, against a total needs forecast of 2,09 million tonnes in the marketing year 2010/11 (April/March).
According to a FAO/WFP statement, Zimbabwe has 1,66 million tonnes of cereals available, against a total needs forecast of 2,09 million tonnes in the marketing year 2010/11 (April/March).
The Malawians have rolled out a comprehensive input scheme of highly subsidised fertilisers to enable every smallholder farmers to produce at least half a hectare of maize to boost national food security.
There are even indications that Malawi intends to extend the scheme to cover a hectare of maize for each farmer in the near future.
Malawi has supported a larger number of farmers and covered a correspondingly large area with maize, which has translated into the current high yields that have also made it possible for the country to export surplus.
Zimbabwe is looking at ways of mitigating the impact of the recurrent mid-season droughts that have dented yields over the past few years.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made recently conceded that the sector was at the mercy of the harsh climatic changes taking place globally, which makes it imperative for more irrigation systems to be developed.
"Irrigation is a must. We have to continue to produce adequate seed and leave no room for GMO imports.
"It is important that we focus on irrigation development and input supply.
"We are currently working on developing our irrigation system with help from our friends while focussing on more research on breeding drought resistant breeds and training our human resources to approach production matters technically and scientifically," said Minister Made.
Minister Made also emphasised the need to have a very clear department of irrigation backed by very clear field supervision of staff.
We must also adopt ways of conserving all the water that is in our reservoirs so that it is harnessed for irrigation and boost yields in the event of poor seasons," he said.
"The Department of Agricultural Engineering must also be on the ground to repair machinery like tractors, combine harvesters and other pieces of equipment while training the farmers as well.
"This will guarantee effective use of implements that translates into higher yields too," he added.
On the other hand, Government should mobilise lines of credit for A2 farmers to boost their capacity as well, said Minister Made.
Similarly, Agritex principal director Mr Joseph Gondo added that the long term solution to drought problems was to develop irrigation infrastructure to capacitate farmers to save their crops in the event of dry spells coming in the middle of a season.
"On the other hand, the short-term strategy involves adopting agronomic strategies that include timely planting, selection of short season varieties and staggering the ages of the planted crop to make sure they emerge and grow at different times," said Mr Gondo.
It is vital, resources permitting for the country to increase the inputs assistance from the current one bag of Compound D, one of Ammonium Nitrate and a 10kg pack of seed to also increase the area under maize.
"This time around more than 4 500 households benefited from the various input schemes rolled out by Government and other players in the agricultural sector yet we have millions of smallholder farmers who all need to take part in the fight against food insecurity," commented Mr Gondo.
The other possible route may involve the Government encouraging inputs suppliers to look into other facilities and make arrangements with banks, farmers organisations and fine-tuning the supply chain while guaranteeing repayment of loans, explained Mr Gondo.
The absence of lines of credit remains agriculture's biggest undoing as financial institutions can only afford to give short-term loans, which are not possible with agriculture as it requires long term financing before the product can generate some revenue after marketing.
"One other way Zimbabwe can also take care of some of the smallholder farmers' problems is for Government to clearly define a contract policy that protects both the farmer and the contractor - two parties that have been at each other's throat every time over breaching of terms," Mr Gondo said.
Zimbabwe is undertaking a massive mechanisation drive of the agricultural sector and this will also include revamping existing irrigation infrastructure and establishing new systems as well.
The country is hugely dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
It is however, unfortunate that there is no significant irrigation infrastructure at the moment especially for the majority of smallholder far-mers to turn to when the seasons turn bad.
With the current climate changes and cyclic droughts that have affected Zimbabwe for years, it is vital to create assets such as small-scale irrigation infrastructure, repair the worst affected water reservoirs like dams, rivers through environmentally friendly methods like re-afforestation.
This will help to reduce the amount of run-off that later translates into erosion and conserve the soil to encourage crop production and mitigate the impact of drought and related shocks.
Labels: FAO, GMO, IRRIGATION, JOSEPH MADE, MAIZE
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ZNFU calls for reversal of GMO policy
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 25 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE ZNFU is proposing that Zambia should embrace genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to improve productivity of certain crops.
Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba said calls for a stark reversal of the stance taken by the country a few years ago follows low competitiveness of the local agriculture sector.
“Nearly four years ago, the government made a strong stance against GMOs. We, however, now believe that time has come to open the discussions on GMOs more so now that bio-safety regulation board has been set up under the Ministry of Science and Technology where ZNFU is ably represented,” Zimba said during the launch of the 2010/2011 agricultural planting season held at Mweetwa farm in Mumbwa on Tuesday.
“While cautiously mindful of the public perception about GMOs, as a country we must not be left out particularly in exploring production-enhancing technologies which can be tried in Cotton production to start with.”
Zimba said GMOs could also help to improve productivity of small-scale farming and make a dent on rural poverty.
“In other countries where bio-technology, especially for cotton, has been used, our small-scale farmers are able to produce 10 times more than our current levels of production with less inputs, implying less production cost leading to huge profits to our small-scale farmers,” said Zimba.
The government banned the production and consumption of genetically modified crops, saying this would impact negatively on the country’s agricultural potential.
Labels: GMO, JERVIS ZIMBA, ZNFU
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COMMENT - Disaster Capitalism in action.
Haitian Farmers Refuse Monsanto Hybrid Seeds
A coalition of peasant farmers is standing up for food sovereignty.
Document Actions Share Send this Print this RSS Feed by Beverly Bell
posted May 21, 2010
Jonas Deronzil from Verrettes has been farming since 1974. Like many small producers throughout Haiti, his meager income from corn, rice, and beans is threatened by new competition from Monsanto.
“A new earthquake” is what peasant farmer leader Chavannes Jean-Baptiste of the Peasant Movement of Papay (MPP) called the news that
American agribusiness giant Monsanto will be donating 60,000 sacks (475 tons) of hybrid corn and vegetable seeds to Haiti—some of them treated with highly toxic pesticides. The MPP has committed to burning Monsanto’s seeds, and has called for a march to protest the corporation’s presence in Haiti on June 4, World Environment Day.
In an open letter sent May 14, Jean-Baptiste, both Executive Director of MPP and the spokesperson for the National Peasant Movement of the Congress of Papay (MPNKP), called the entry of Monsanto seeds into Haiti “a very strong attack on small agriculture, on farmers, on biodiversity, on Creole seeds…and on what is left of our environment in Haiti.”[1] Haitian social movements have been vocal in their opposition to imports of seeds and food from agribusinesses, which they say undermine local production and local seed stocks. They have expressed special concern about the import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
For now, without a law regulating the use of GMOs in Haiti, the Ministry of Agriculture rejected any offer of genetically modified Roundup Ready seeds. In an email exchange, a Monsanto representative assured the Ministry of Agriculture that the seeds being donated are not genetically modified.
With that exclusion, the Haitian Ministry of Agriculture approved the donation (Elizabeth Vancil, Monsanto’s Director of Development Initiatives, called the news “a fabulous Easter gift” in an April email). [2] Monsanto is known for aggressively pushing seeds, particularly GMO seeds, in both the global North and South—including through highly restrictive technology agreements with farmers who are not always made fully aware of what they are signing. According to interviews by this writer with representatives of Mexican small farmer organizations, contracted farmers then find themselves forced to buy Monsanto seeds each year under conditions they find onerous and at costs they sometimes cannot afford.
The hybrid corn seeds Monsanto has donated to Haiti are treated with the fungicide Maxim XO, and the calypso tomato seeds are treated with thiram. [3] Thiram belongs to a highly toxic class of chemicals called ethylene bisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs). Results of tests of EBDCs on mice and rats caused concern to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which then ordered a special review. The EPA determined that EBDC-treated plants are so dangerous to agricultural workers that they must wear special protective clothing when handling them. The EPA also ruled that pesticides containing thiram must contain a special warning label. The EPA also barred marketing of the chemicals for many home garden products, based on the assumption that most gardeners do not have adequately protective clothing. [4] Monsanto’s passing mention of thiram to Ministry of Agriculture officials in an email contained no explanation of the dangers, nor any offer of special clothing or training for those who will be farming with the toxic seeds.
The concern of Haitian social movements is not just about chemical dangers and the possibility of future GMO imports. They claim that the future of Haiti depends on local production with local seeds for local consumption—otherwise known as food sovereignty. Monsanto’s arrival in Haiti, they say, is a further threat to such a future.
“People in the U.S. need to help us produce, not give us food and seeds. They’re ruining our chance to support ourselves,” said farmer Jonas Deronzil of a peasant cooperative in the rural region of Verrettes. [5]
A coalition of peasant farmers has called Monsanto one of the “principal enemies of peasant sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty for all peoples.”Monsanto’s history has long drawn ire from environmentalists, health advocates, and small farmers, going back to its production of Agent Orange during the Vietnam war. The Vietnamese government claims that 400,000 Vietnamese people were killed or disabled by Agent Orange, and 500,000 children were born with birth defects as a result of their exposure. [6]
Monsanto’s former motto, “Without chemicals, life itself would be impossible,” has been replaced by “Imagine.” Its web site claims it “help[s] farmers around the world produce more while conserving more. We help farmers grow yield sustainably so they can be successful [and] produce healthier foods…while also reducing agriculture's impact on our environment.” [7] But the corporation's record does not support these claims.
Cheap seeds sold by agribusiness giants, which are often genetically modified, have the unfortunate side-effect of toppling local food economies in places like Haiti.
Photo by Oculator.
Together with Syngenta, Dupont and Bayer, Monsanto controls more than half of the world’s seeds. [8] The company holds almost 650 seed patents—most of them for cotton, corn, and soy—and almost 30 percent of the share of all biotech research and development. Monsanto came to own such a vast supply by buying major seed companies to stifle competition, patenting genetic modifications to plant varieties, and suing small farmers. Monsanto is also one of the leading manufacturers of GMOs.
As of 2007, Monsanto had filed 112 lawsuits against U.S. farmers for alleged technology contract violations or GMO patents, involving 372 farmers and 49 small agricultural businesses in 27 different states. From these, Monsanto has won more than $21.5 million in judgments. The multinational appears to investigate 500 farmers a year, in estimates based on Monsanto’s own documents and media reports. [9]
“Farmers have been sued after their field was contaminated by pollen or seed from someone else’s genetically engineered crop [or] when genetically engineered seed from a previous year’s crop has sprouted, or ‘volunteered,’ in fields planted with non-genetically engineered varieties the following year,” said Andrew Kimbrell and Joseph Mendelson of the Center for Food Safety. [10]
In Colombia, Monsanto has received upwards of $25 million from the U.S. government for providing Roundup Ultra in the anti-drug fumigation efforts of Plan Colombia. Roundup Ultra is a highly concentrated version of Monsanto's glyphosate herbicide, with additional ingredients to increase its lethality. Colombian communities and human rights organizations have charged that the herbicide has destroyed food crops, water sources and protected areas, and has led to increased incidents of birth defects and cancers.
Vía Campesina, the world’s largest confederation of farmers with member organizations in more than 60 countries, has called Monsanto one of the “principal enemies of peasant sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty for all peoples.” [11] They claim that as Monsanto and other multinationals control an ever larger share of land and agriculture, they force small farmers out of their land and jobs. They also claim that the agribusiness giants contribute to climate change and other environmental disasters—an outgrowth of industrial agriculture. [12]
The Vía Campesina coalition launched a global campaign against Monsanto last October 16, on International World Food Day, with protests, land occupations, and hunger strikes in more than 20 countries. They carried out a second global day of action against Monsanto on April 17 of this year, in honor of Earth Day.
Food Rebellions: 7 Steps to Solving the Food Crisis
Resistance to the trade and “aid” policies that displace farmers and increase hunger.
Non-governmental organizations in the U.S. are challenging Monsanto’s practices, too. The Organic Consumers Association has spearheaded the campaign “Millions Against Monsanto,” calling on the company to stop intimidating small family farmers, stop marketing untested and unlabeled genetically engineered foods to consumers, and stop using billions of dollars of U.S. taypayers' money to subsidize GMO crops. [13]
The Center for Food Safety has led a four-year legal challenge against Monsanto that has just made it to the U.S. Supreme Court. After successful litigation against Monsanto and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for illegal promotion of Roundup Ready Alfalfa, the court heard the Center for Food Safety’s case on April 27. A decision on this first-ever Supreme Court case about GMOs is now pending. [14]
“Fighting hybrid and GMO seeds is critical to save our diversity and our agriculture,” Jean-Baptiste said in an interview in February. “We have the potential to make our lands produce enough to feed the whole population and even to export certain products. The policy we need for this to happen is food sovereignty, where the country has a right to define its own agricultural policies, to grow first for the family and then for local market, to grow healthy food in a way which respects the environment and Mother Earth.”
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Beverly Bell has worked with Haitian social movements for over 30 years. She is also author of the book Walking on Fire: Haitian Women's Stories of Survival and Resistance. She coordinates Other Worlds, which promotes social and economic alternatives. She is also associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies.
Many thanks to Moira Birss for her assistance with research and writing.
Labels: GMO, HAITI, MONSANTO
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SA 'dumping' GM maize on Africa
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA May 15 2010 08:31
South Africa has dumped genetically modified (GM) maize on African markets, the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) alleged on Friday. "In the last four months, South Africa has dumped almost
300 000 metric tons of GM maize on to
Kenya, Mozambique and Swaziland," it said in a statement.
This was revealed in its study, "Good neighbour? South Africa forcing GM maize onto African markets and policy makers", ACB said. The study contained the first documented cases of commodity exports of genetically modified organism (GMOs) from South Africa to the rest of the African continent, it said, describing this as a "a worrying precedent".
The ACB said that even Kenya, which was strategically important to Africa's biotech industry, and where most of the GM maize ended up, lacked the capacity to ensure the safe handling and monitoring of such a huge volume.
ACB director Mariam Mayet said as much as 80% of the grain trade in East Africa was informal and undocumented.
"The arrival of 280 000 tons of GM maize into Kenya presents the potential for genetic contamination on an unimaginable scale," she said.
"These shipments have come at a time when South Africa has experienced its second largest maize harvest on record, at over 13 million tons."
She said the latest available figures from the United Nations indicated that improved maize production in Kenya and Mozambique would result in increased food security in the two countries in the coming year.
"In both cases, analysts have stated that any remaining shortages can be plugged by inter-regional trade and government policies, without the need to impose GMOs on countries that have no infrastructure to safely handle them."
She said none of the three countries had functional biosafety legislation in place, let alone monitoring capacities.
"Swaziland has already refused entry to two shipments of GM maize this year, but records on the department of agriculture's website indicate that the South African response was to merely re-issue the permits to agribusiness, showing a flagrant disregard to its neighbour's right to say no."
Mayet said her organisation condemned "the underhand tactics and dubious motives" behind these GMO shipments.
ACB demanded that the South African GMO authorities conduct their affairs transparently, in a way that respected the country's neighbours "in keeping with the original intentions of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety". -- Sapa
Labels: AGRICULTURE, GMO, SOUTH AFRICA
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Sondashi challenges Rupiah to act on GMO and RP scams
Written by George Chellah
Thursday, May 28, 2009 4:36:19 PM
LUSAKA lawyer Dr Ludwig Sondashi has challenged President Rupiah Banda to equally act on deals involving his children such as the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize and RP Capital Partners deals where his sons have been mentioned.
And Dr Sondashi said the nation could not be hoodwinked by President Banda's recent zeal to fight corruption because it knows that he is not against corruption. In an interview, Sondashi said President Banda's current stance on the crusade against corruption was not sincere.
"The perceived U-turning of President Banda to start fighting corruption is not genuine. If he was for the crusade he should have started this immediately he assumed office as republican President. So it's too late for him to start this now," he said.
Sondashi, who is also former works and supply minister, said President Banda was zealous about the K10 billion scam in the Ministry of Health (MoH) because none of his children and relatives is involved.
"What is happening in the Ministry of Health...because no one connected to him is involved that's why he is fuming. When his children and relatives are involved its not possible that he can stand up," Sondashi said.
"But the nation knows that President Banda is not against corruption and therefore the nation cannot be hoodwinked to believe in whatever is happening now."
He challenged President Banda to equally act on scams where his children have been mentioned.
"He should act in deals where his children and relatives have been mentioned as well. His children where mentioned on the GMO maize deal and this Dora Siliya thing (RP Capital Partners deal)," Sondashi said.
"He should act on that as well. His children were mentioned that they were involved. Those are the deals I was referring to. If he is against corruption he should be friends with The Post and stop the MMD youths who are harassing Post reporters."
Recently, President Banda said all civil servants and their agents who are currently under investigations in the K10 billion scam should not enter the Ministry of Health (MoH) premises until further notice.
According to a statement issued by special assistant to the President for press and public relations Dickson Jere, President Banda yesterday received an interim report on the alleged financial scam at the Ministry of Health where billions of funds were alleged to have been misapplied or stolen by civil servants.
President Banda directed that all civil servants and their agents mentioned in the K10 billion [US$2 million] scam - who were currently being investigated should not enter the Ministry of Health premises to protect and secure evidence.
He said the decision was also aimed at preventing any interference with the ongoing investigations.
President Banda said the interim report indicated that the amounts involved in the scam could be higher than what was initially reported going by the number of people and companies implicated in the scam.
However, President Banda said he would wait for the final report from the Auditor General who was currently conducting a forensic audit at the Ministry of Health.
Labels: CORRUPTION, GMO, LUDWIG SONDASHI, RP CAPITAL PARTNERS, RUPIAH BANDA
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Dr Fee asserts Zambia’s right to decide on GMOs
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:33:35 AM
EUROPEAN Commission head of delegation to Zambia Dr Derek Fee has said Zambia has a sovereign right to take its own decision on consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMO).
However, Dr Fee explained that the European Union (EU) takes stringent precautionary measures on importation of Genetically Modified (GM) farm produce to avoid affecting the human health and the environment.
Commenting on President Rupiah Banda's call that Zambians should re-open debate on the possibility of the country importing genetically modified maize for consumption, Dr Fee stated Zambia had a sovereign right to decide on the matter.
Dr Fee was responding to a press query from The Post on whether the EU would be allowing farm produce from Zambia in an event that President Banda's proposal to start consuming GMO goes through, which is likely to contaminate the country's seed bank.
Following President Banda's suggestion, some experts and ordinary people alike have expressed fears that allowing the consumption of GMO food might lead to contamination of seed banks.
The fears are that any farm produce and food produced using GMO contaminated seeds could not be exported to the EU market, which is Zambia's largest export market.
However, Dr Fee said the European Commission had no intention to interfere in Zambia's decision-making process on the GMO.
"It is important to state from the outset that Zambia, like every other country, has the sovereign right to take its own decisions over GM products and it is not the European Commission's intention to interfere in this national debate," Dr Fee stated. "As regards entry into the European Union, the European Commission ensures that all use of GMO is treated with the necessary precautions in order to protect human health and the environment."
Dr Fee, therefore, stated that all GMOs were subjected to thorough environmental and health risk assessment by the European Commission's European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
"This precautionary principle stipulates that all GMOs meet systematic post-marketing monitoring, labelling and traceability requirements before the European Commission makes its decision regarding authorisation," stated Dr Fee.
Regulation (EC) number 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed stated that in order to protect human and animal health, food and feed consisting of, containing or produced from genetically modified organisms (referred to as genetically modified food and feed) should undergo a safety assessment through a community procedure before being placed on the market within the EU.
President Banda recently urged Zambians to re-open debate on whether they should start consuming GMO foods or not.
This was after reports revealed that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had sent back trucks that brought in GM maize, which was supposed to be bought by the FRA, contrary to the contract it signed with the supplier to bring in non-GM maize.
The supplier of GM maize is alleged to be linked to President Banda's son, James.
Labels: DEREK FEE, GMO
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Rupiah has mishandled himself over Zamtel – HH
Written by Patson Chilemba
Saturday, February 21, 2009 7:06:27 AM
OPPOSITION UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday charged that President Rupiah Banda has mishandled himself over the Zamtel and RP Capital saga.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme, Hichilema said President Banda and Vice-President George Kunda must tell the nation why they must not acknowledge that they have failed the public on the Zamtel issue. He said communications and transport minister Dora Siliya was just a messenger over the saga.
"We also are aware that there is a related party who is associated with RP Capital Partners, is it RB Capital Partners? Now I can see the minister struggling and I know Dora very well. I feel sorry for her. I think she's a messenger," Hichilema said.
"She finds herself being a messenger of a well-orchestrated plan to actually take money from public coffers, US$2 million dollars. And let's not debate about whether the MoU is legally binding or not. The intent is very clear. I'm told RP Capital Partners are already working on the assignment."
Hichilema said the debate surrounding the Zamtel scam was filled with half-truths.
"When you are telling a lie, it shows and the Vice-President was very busy telling the nation that there was nothing wrong. Mr Vice-President, are you saying that your Attorney General is irrelevant? Are you saying that to tell RP Capital Partners using inside information is not wrong? The President I think mishandled himself on this matter," Hichilema said.
"The President came out calling all of us less intelligent than Dora. I don't understand what is the meaning of intelligence in this. I think we must remove intelligence outside of this debate. This is pure corruption."
Hichilema said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RP Capital must be cancelled forthwith. He said Siliya should step aside from her position.
Hichilema further said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) should officially move in and investigate Siliya on her alleged corruption.
"The court process is being touted now. I know some people are touting the court process, a tribunal. A tribunal can take five years. A tribunal controlled by the Judiciary that is dependent in terms of salary increment, in terms of renewal of contract on the President can take five years," Hichilema said. "It means justice will be delayed and therefore denied."
Hichilema said in the last 100 days of President Banda, Zambians had witnessed an increase in corruption and improper conduct of the highest order.
"I don't know what price the Zambian people have to pay up to 2011," he said.
Hichilema wondered where President Banda's advisors were because the President was making so many serious blunders.
He said advisors should sit President Banda down because he was walking himself into a lot of traps.
"Unless he's creating the situation himself," Hichilema said.
Hichilema also said he felt that the trucks carrying Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) maize that was rejected by FRA may not have left the country.
"He suggested that we must re-open the debate when the trucks were already in the country. What does that suggest? It suggests that he's covering somebody up. I don't think we can tolerate this anymore," he said.
Hichilema said the government was uneasy because it had realised that Zambians would not allow them to continue with the things that they were doing wrong.
He said President Banda had taken Zambians back to the late 1980s when they were queuing for essential commodities such as mealie-meal.
On the plot by President Banda's government to arrest and silence Fred M'membe and Mutembo Nchito using the dealings of Zambian Airways, Hichilema said he did not want to focus much on the matter.
"The issue is that if one ran a transparent government, we operate above board. We will have courage as a government to deal with issues as they arise, because issues will arise in the country but if you are compromised yourself, you will find it difficult as a government to deal with issues that need to be dealt with," said Hichilema.
"So in my view, I think this is a general issue that government has created for itself by failing to provide leadership in various areas, including in the handling of commercial issues and social issues as we have demonstrated already."
According to intelligence sources, M'membe's planned arrest was aimed at weakening The Post while Nchito's arrest would enable President Banda to derail the prosecution of former president Frederick Chiluba.
Labels: CORRUPTION, FRED M'MEMBE, GMO, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PRIVATISATION, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST
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Desperate people do desperate things
Written by Editor
Rupiah Banda and his friends are extremely desperate people. And desperate people do desperate things. The last two weeks have shown how desperate Rupiah and his friends are. They brought in GMO maize knowing very well that there is a government policy that doesn’t permit them to do so. But simply because they are desperate for money, they brought it in.
Rupiah even suggested that if there are problems bringing the maize into Lusaka and other towns, they should consider milling it at the border.
And for almost two weeks, the nation has been subjected to all sorts of conflicting nonsense over their Zamtel and airport radar deals. Many people have expressed surprise that these people can say what they had been saying about their deals. But that is what desperate people do – they say and do things no sensible person can say or do.
Today we are being told that Rupiah and his friends have another scheme to arrest Fred M’membe and Mutembo Nchito on trumped-up theft by agent charges because of Zambian Airways debt to National Airport Corporation and the airline’s dealings with a syndicate of Zambian banks.
They want to do this in the belief that this will cripple The Post and remove this stumbling block from their way. They also believe that this will stop Mutembo from completing the prosecution of their friends and political allies.
We know that even in their stupidity, they know very well there is no wrong that The Post has done with its investment in Zambian Airways. They also know very well that there is no single director or employee of Zambian Airways who can today be held responsible for the dealings and obligations of that airline.
This can only be done if the corporate veil is lifted by the High Court. They know that to lift the corporate veil, they must show that the directors or the employees were taking money from the business fraudulently to enrich themselves.
These fellows know that if they follow the proper procedure, they will find that although Zambian Airways had financing problems, none of the directors or employees were taking money from it. It seems they have no interest in the truth. What they are interested in is to deal with specific individuals through the abuse of the judicial process.
There is hardly a more abused tool in the arms of intolerant and corrupt politicians than that of initiating arrests of political opponents on trumped-up charges. They will not hesitate to abuse the judicial process to humiliate and harass their real or perceived opponents through unjustified arrests.
And we know that when this is done, the judiciary at whatever level may find itself confronting this abuses, and may find itself subjected to enormous pressures to accept them. Often, if the process is legal but unfair, there is little that the court can do.
People who don’t like the truth hate those who propagate it. We have faced this before and no doubt we will face it again. This hatred has had us behind bars on too many occasions. But it has not changed the truth. This newspaper exists to propagate the truth. No amount of intimidation, threats or pressure will cause us to change our commitment to the truth.
And this is what these corrupt elements cannot forgive. They will never forgive us for our integrity. And unlike them who fear independent probes when allegations are raised against them, we invite them. We are inviting Transparency International, the Bankers Association of Zambia, the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountant, the Law Association of Zambia, the labour movement, the Church mother bodies, all interested political parties and other civil society organisations to come and investigate this issue and establish the truth for themselves.
And we accordingly authorise our bankers to avail any information pertaining to our investment in Zambian Airways and the dealings of this airline to them. We will also provide them with every piece of information that is in our possession so that the truth can be established and if we have done anything wrong, we will be condemned by all. We also ask National Airports Corporation and any other organisation that had any dealings with Zambian Airways to open their doors to these institutions and their representatives to probe our dealings with them to find out what wrongs we have committed.
We also invite all countries with diplomatic missions in our country who are interested in truth and justice to join in this probe. Today it is us, tomorrow it may be their nationals who have invested in our country being subjected to such treatment.
This is not political rhetoric, we mean it. This invitation is definite.
We are not surprised that such manoeuvers can be hatched. In the last few months, Dora Siliya has made it a point to connect our reporting to some scheme or other. Just the other day, we were being accused of exposing the Zamtel scam because she denied us a mobile licence. She went on to insinuate that we, or somebody who applied for this licence had tried to bribe her. This is unfortunate. If they think that blaming us for the discovery of their criminal misdeeds will help them, they are cheating themselves. What they have done is clear for all to see.
We know that they have a programme to try and cripple us and the operations of this newspaper. This can never scare us. It is not the first time that corrupt elements have conspired to destroy us. We will not be surprised, if out of desperation, they contemplate eliminating us physically.
We have said before and we say again that we are normal human beings who like comfort and peace. We hold our profession dear but we are not reckless. We do what we do because we sincerely believe that we have a contribution to make.
As we said yesterday, it is better one rather falls with honour than succeeds by fraud.
We can understand why Rupiah and his friends have to fight us. This is simply because we are a stumbling block – as they themselves are saying – and we are blocking or frustrating their corrupt deals. But it is difficult for us to understand why this should be extended to Mutembo. What has Mutembo done against them?
Anyway, maybe we should not be surprised. We know that Rupiah and his friends are not fully supportive of the fight against corruption. It makes them uncomfortable. We have not forgotten that Frederick Chiluba told the nation that he did not support people who did not promise him anything. Chiluba supported Rupiah in the last election. What was he promised? Does this explain the inclusion of Mutembo in their political schemes against us?
The only thing we can conclude about their harassment of Mutembo is that they want him to stop prosecuting their friends and send them to jail. We say this because there is no sensible reason that can make them think of arresting Mutembo over the financial problems of Zambian Airways.
But whatever silly things they try to do to M’membe and Mutembo, will not help them much. They have to start preparing themselves to come and face the tribunal they have tried to evade.
Now what they did or did not do will be known. If Rupiah still thinks Dora is right and smart, let him come to the tribunal and show why she is right and smart. If George Kunda still thinks Dora has done nothing wrong because her wrongs were sanctioned by the Solicitor General Dominic Sichinga, let him come and say so to the tribunal and show how Sichinga had done it. But they will have to answer some questions as well from those who have taken Dora to this tribunal. Actually, there is nothing wrong with Rupiah and George coming to the tribunal to stand for what they believe is the truth. What is shameful and difficult to do will be for them to go to that tribunal and stand for what they clearly know is not true, is a falsity, a lie, a fraud. We will see where they stand on this score. If they truly stand for the truth, they will have no difficulties going to that tribunal.
As for Dora, her hour of reckoning has come. She wanted to explain or justify what she had done. The opportunity is here for her now. This will be an opportunity for Dora to face her accusers and for her accusers to face her. Smearing others with filth will no longer be necessary for Dora. She will have to face the temerity of her own actions.
And as for Rupiah, he can go ahead with his evil and corrupt scheme to arrest M’membe and Mutembo in total abuse of the judicial process in order to achieve his political goal. But it will not help him much. He will not gain much from it. This will only come to haunt him later in a more vicious and indefensible way. We say this because in the end, righteousness will triumph over evil.
Labels: GMO, MAIZE, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST, ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS
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Trucks with imported non-GMO maize arrive at FRA depot
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Friday, February 20, 2009 6:36:07 PM
ABOUT five trucks carrying imported white non-genetically modified maize yesterday landed at the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) depot on Mwembeshi Road, according to highly placed sources.
According to the sources, about 18 trucks were expected to arrive from Chirundu border post by the end of the day as part of the current maize importation exercise.
However, the sources did not indicate the company that had imported the maize, but it is strongly believed that the consignment was brought into the country by Mark Daniels.
The maize was being carried in specially designed grain bulk carriers with tarpaulin and a drainage plug at the bottom to decant the grain.
On Monday, FRA board chairman Costain Chilala revealed that Mark Daniels, one of the contracted companies under the current maize importation exercise had started bringing in the maize and that part of the consignment had been cleared and was in the country while the other half was stuck at the border awaiting genetically modified organism (GMO) clearance by Mt Makulu Research Station.
Chilala explained that it was easy for Mt Makulu to inspect the maize brought by Mark Daniels because the commodity was being imported in bulk form of 600 bags per truck.
"The whole truck can simply be opened and you can get samples everywhere," Chilala said.
The importation maize from South Africa has been embroiled in a lot of controversies with one of the contracted companies, GIA International, being forced to return about 81 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes of imported maize after the consignment tested positive for the banned GMOs.
FRA has since given GIA International up to March 30 this year to bring in white non-genetically modified maize to replace the consignment that was recently rejected.
Labels: FRA, GMO, MAIZE
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FRA gives GIA ultimatum to bring non-GMO maize
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 4:51:15 PM
GIA International have up to March 30 this year to bring in white
non-Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize to replace the consignment that was recently rejected by FRA, chairman Costain Chilala (right) disclosed yesterday.
And Chilala said the board had not yet met to decide the fate of FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanaumo following his arrest last week for allegedly procuring maize covering materials in 2006 without following tender procedures.
Giving an update on the maize importation exercise, Chilala said the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had not cancelled its contract with GIA International despite the company's attempt to secretly import GMO maize, contrary to contractual clauses.
Chilala said the other company involved in the maize importation exercise, Mark Daniels, had started bringing in the maize and that part of the consignment had been cleared and was in the country while the other half was stuck at the border awaiting GMO clearance by Mt Makulu Research Station.
"We have not cancelled the contracts but rejected that consignment. They [GIA International] have an open contract up to March 31 this year and if they have not brought maize by then, they will have severely breached the contract and then the contract will be cancelled and then I don't know clauses which will be on top of that. But basically, they should look for the right maize to bring between that day [when the contract was signed] and March 30th," Chilala said. "The other company, the controversial Mark Daniels has brought in two consignments of maize of 13 trucks of 30 tonnes each. The first 13 trucks were very well and we have no problem. The next 13 ones we are looking at the samples but the trucks are at the border awaiting inspection.
"That is another delay we have; you know sometimes, it takes another four or five days, until Mt Makulu says 'yes these trucks have non-GMO maize' that is when they can be allowed to enter. We don't want them to enter and start finding them they are GMO here in Lusaka. That is not what our interest is. Immediately they do not get the right maize by 31st March, [2009] the contract should elapse."
Chilala said it was easy for Mt Makulu to inspect the maize brought by Mark Daniels because the commodity was being imported in bulk form of 600 bags per truck.
"The whole truck can simply be opened and you can get samples everywhere," Chilala said.
He also said although GIA International wanted to cheat the country by bringing in GMO disguised as non-GMO, FRA would not rest with its effort to keep a tab on the importation exercise.
"You know these chaps [GIA International] we told them they should test the maize in South Africa so that they already know it is GMO free. We have been doing that [taking precautionary measures] even in 2005. You know this thing is not a joke for me and the board. It is very a serious thing," he said. "In 2005, we did exactly the same exercise but the guys brought in GMO maize. They were trying to sneak it in but we discovered and we rejected it. But the rest of the maize which came was clean in 2005. But they can't cheat us unless Mt Makulu is compromised. We don't pay anyone who is doesn't meet the standards."
And Chilala said the FRA board was currently consulting over Dr Mwanaumo who was arrested last week.
"We have not suspended him yet but we know that it is common knowledge among you guys that there was this arrest by the anti-corruption people and then we are doing consultation. Once we have consulted, that is when we will be able to make an administrative decision," Chilala said.
Asked whether Dr Mwanaumo was still in the office, Chilala responded: "We are doing consultation this week and by next week, the board will have finished their consultation. You know this issue of this importation is a very sensitive thing and if you take out the chief executive just like that, we can have serious problems. But that decision to remove him [Dr Mwanaumo] from the office, if need be, would only be made after we complete the consultation."
Chilala disclosed that Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) arrested Dr Mwanaumo following FRA's procurement of materials for covering maize in 2006 without following tender procedures after late president Levy Mwanawasa threatened to charge the agency with crimes against humanity if they allowed maize to go to waste.
Chilala said FRA had to quickly buy the maize covers because the rain season was imminent.
"The matter is not a current thing. It is an issue for 2006, which they had arrested him for. It is when Mwanawasa during the press conference had told the nation that if FRA get their maize soaked, then it gets rotten, then it will be crimes against humanity," he said. "They [ACC] have already informed us. They wrote to us on Friday and we also started consulting on Friday immediately they informed us. We are moving toward something. But it is not the President [Rupiah Banda] or minister, but the legal people to tell us how to deal with this and once we have got those consultations, we will meet as a board and then make a decision."
Meanwhile, Chilala expressed anger at a letter published in The Post last week from an anonymous former senior FRA employee who accused some board members [Chilala and Caleb Mulenga - Miller Association of Zambia chairman] of being highly compromised.
The anonymous former employee also wondered why Chilala and others could serve both the people of Zambia and monetary profits.
But Chilala said the FRA board had worked hard to avert the maize crisis in the country and to sanitise the grain administration sector.
Chilala said he was a focused, elderly person who wanted to perform his duties properly and ensure that good standards were set at FRA.
Labels: COSTAIN CHILALA, FRA, GIA INTERNATIONAL, GMO
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Reopening debate on GMOs not profitable – Ililonga
Written by Cynthia Mutalange
Sunday, February 15, 2009 7:47:11 AM
ZAMBIA Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga has said reopening debate on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will be as unprofitable as former president Frederick Chiluba’s third-term debate. In a statement released on Friday, Ililonga stated that his association thought it would be unprofitable to reopen the debate without any good course.
He stated that the current “artificial” shortage of maize and mealie-meal should not cause people to panic and make haphazard decisions which they would regret in future.
Ililonga stated that the calls by President Rupiah Banda to reopen the debate on GMOs were unfortunate.
He further stated that instead of debating GMOs, Zambians should be debating President Banda’s economic stimulus plan for the country.
“Companies are closing, jobs are being lost; these are the matters that must come to the table. People must put their heads together and assist government with ways to solve these potentially catastrophic developments,” Ililonga stated.
He stated that it was astonishing for President Banda to call for debate on GMOs, amidst serious economic problems facing the country.
“Why should we reopen debate on a matter that we concluded? What has changed? In any case why should we debate GMOs when the country has capacity to produce sufficient non-GMO maize?” Ililonga wondered.
“As an association we actively participated in the GMO debate in 2002. We know that Zambians rejected GMO maize. It’s therefore unprofitable to reopen this debate now without real good course.”
Ililonga stated that the issue of GMO maize did not only concern the environment but also potential health risks to consumers, since there was no conclusive scientific evidence yet that such products were safe.
He stated that although the country was experiencing a maize deficit, that did not mean that farmers did not produce enough maize for the country.
“We all know that the maize was exported leaving the country with this deficit,” stated Ililonga.
Last week, President Banda said people were free to debate GMOs. President Banda’s statement followed reports that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had rejected 81 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes of maize imported from South Africa on account of it being genetically modified.
Labels: CORRUPTION, GMO, MAIZE, MUYUNDA ILILONGA
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Nullity of Dora’s deals
Written by C Mbwili
Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:21:00 PM
I wish to express suprise at the fact that we all appear to be overlooking certain aspects of our laws.
Unless our laws, rules and regulations are wrong, I wish to point out that whatever Dora may have signed, if she skipped any part of the due process, it is automatically a nullity and does not require any ‘authority’ to pronounce it as such.
Nullification is automatic going by my deduction of the regulations governing tender procedures, and those who flout the procedures are automatically subject to disciplinary action going by magnitude and extent.
And considering the fact that efforts were made to help matters in the communications minister’s case, she has to be made to answer with immediate effect. That said, I wish to seek guidance from the ACC on why they have remained mute and have not moved in Dora's direction as they have done on the FRA CEO whose matter came up after. If the MMD government is of men and not laws, our land is and the MMD government happens to be on it, be reminded.
I further wish to remind all those in the government that the President will not protect you in your misdeeds, as evidenced by the process explained by the former vice-president Enoch Kavindele in Wednesday’s Post edition. I am calling on civil society and all Zambians to exercise diligence on this matter, you have a duty.
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/5106/64/
Dora, exculpate yourself
Written by Dorothy Mwanza
Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:20:15 PM
I would really like to thank The Post for continued vigilance in exposing corrupt and highly questionable deeds of those we have entrusted with our resources. Their deeds can be likened to cankerworms that keep feeding on our harvests, leaving people hungry and poor. It is very easy for many people to dismiss as sour grapes what has emerged from The Post emanating from the demise of Zambian Airways.
I wish to implore Zambians to rise above petty conclusions and critically analyse what has been revealed concerning tender procedures involving huge sums of money that have been disregarded with impunity.
It is clearly amazing that despite all these revelations, to date we have not been given any satisfactory explanation to warrant these actions except that of Rupiah, saying Siliya is smarter than many who are questioning her. If these people truly consider themselves as our servants, they need to exculpate themselves to their bosses (citizens) for the allegations that have been levelled against them. It is important that leaders be held accountable and no one will do it for us.
It is not wrong to demand an explanation nor does it mean that you hate Dora if you did so. Where is the Oasis Forum? Where is the Women's Lobby Group? Where are the mother church bodies? Why haven't you demanded an explanation? Men and women of Zambia, we need to stand up and demand the truth. If The Post is lying and just rumour-mongering, then let Dora come out and explain.
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/4986/64/
Rupiah’s support for Siliya on Zamtel
Written by Mateo
Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:19:22 PM
The comments made by President Rupiah Banda on the sourcing of the strategic
partner for Zamtel makes me sad and wonder whether the President has the interest of the nation at heart.
Inasmuch as we cannot dispute the fact that Zamtel is technically insolvent, our question as Zambians is, why were the proper tender procedures not followed?
We want the President to answer on the rare credibility of RP Capital which made them not to be given an opportunity to compete with other bidders.
In this light, we are saying we are not ready to give Dora Siliya a chance for as long we smell a rat in the manner the tender was awarded to RP Partners.
Our other worry as Zambians is that there is a possibility of under-valuing Zamtel and the same people might not find a buyer and instead want their own company to come and buy Zamtel cheaply.
How patriotic is the minister on this matter?
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/5025/64/
Dealings of Rupiah’s sons
Dealings of Rupiah’s sons
Written by C Mbwili, Lusaka
Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:17:50 PM
While we appreciate that President Rupiah Banda’s children are adults and independent, we need to be alive to the fact that there is a matter of undue advantage when relatives of high-standing officials participate in these deals.
The officers handling the matters are exposed to certain pressure to appease the ruling authority through favours to these relatives. I am certain now Rupiah’s children can visit any ministry and they will access it without any appointment, taking advantage of the nature of African political foolishness.
Why is Rupiah treating his children’s dealings with the goverment differently from the incarcerated former ZAF commanders' daughters' company providing services to ZAF? Government is an institution like any other of which the President is the managing director and we are aware of the ethics that go with family members of the MD dealing with the institution he is heading.
If there is no law governing the President’s family members’ use of pecuniary advantages, then something must be done. However, a reasonable father should caution his children as such bad publicity indicates they are treading in murky waters. Why should the whole President allow his children to be the subject of discussion in two scandalous dealings within a week. Lead your children from temptation, Rupiah, or they will perish with you.
It shows Rupiah has mental challenges that come with old age, as he had told us a few weeks back, and if he can’t manage his children how will he manage Dora and her sort? As for the Banda children, you are adults and will be dealt with as such by the Task Force when your time comes as you are not the first nor last president’s children.
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/5107/64/
Rupiah and his sons’ deals
Written by Concerned citizen
Rupiah Banda must not treat the issue of his son’s behaviour lightly. He must not make him close his eyes and ears to the urgent need for him to put his house in order.
Whether he likes it or not, some people strongly believe in the ‘Like father like son’ saying. If Rupiah fails to correct his son’s behaviour, will we find it easy to believe that he is different from them?
In some countries when the president or king leaves office, one of his sons takes over. Common sense has it that such a son must be presidential material. If Rupiah fails to preside over his sons, how can he be the President of Zambia worth his salt and what could be the effect of this failure on the country? How can we vote for Rupiah or anyone else of his type in 2011?
We don't want Rupiah's sons or Rupiah himself to have a bad name. We haven't forgotten how Castro Chiluba behaved because according to his stupidity he thought he was a tiny president of Zambia as well. May that ugly history not repeat itself.
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/5103/64/
GMO import scam
Written by Concerned citizen
Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:13:58 PM
The importation of GMO maize and subsequent statement made by the President, Mr Rupiah Banda, as reported by The Post of Febraury 10, 2009 is extremely worrying. Properly interpreted, the statement confirms that the President is pro-GMO. As a country, we risk uncontrolled inflows of GMOs.
This is a disaster to this country and should be stopped forthwith by all Zambians who love this country.
GMOs are not a solution to the current maize crisis. Instead, we risk compounding this crisis up to unmanageable levels. Acceptance of GMO maize will impact negatively on Zambia ’s agricultural development in terms of production and export marketing. Small-scale agriculture will be severely affected while issues of environmental contamination are beyond our comprehension.
Up to this time, even developed Europe has adopted a cautious approach towards GMOs. Why should Zambia, which has no capacity to create or accept another crisis that it cannot manage.
Issues of food security and safety are extremely important and cannot be solved overnight by accepting GMOs. Again, we have no capacity or resources to monitor the impact of GMOs on food security and food safety.
Levy Mwanawasa, the departed great son of Zambia made responsible decisions and demonstrated that this country can feed itself. One year after experiencing severe maize shortages, Zambia produced a bumper harvest in 2006 and recorded a surplus. We can do it again without resorting to GMOs as long as the leadership is focused. I am sure Levy’s government made enough consultation and research on this matter such that we do not need to revisit this issue just now. It will be a complete waste of our meagre resources.
I salute all the institutions and individuals who ensured that the GMO maize was repatriated to RSA.
Zambians, let’s not allow a clique of incorrigibles to feed us on food whose safety is qestionable. We are not guinea pigs in a laboratory.
Through Mwanawasa, Zambians said no to GMOs.
May God bless and deliver our country from careless, selfish and irresponsible leadership.
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/4985/64/
Rupiah’s trips
Written by Edwin Zulu
Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:12:49 PM
The President has travelled a lot in the three
months he has been in office.
He has been to Nigeria, South Africa, Libya, Ethiopia, Botswana and now he is in Tanzania.
With due respect, I think he must sit down and consider working on the problems people are facing in the country than travel so many times in a short time.
If there is anything of prime importance, he can send his vice or indeed invite his counterparts to Zambia.
These trips are at the tax payers’ expense. If the President has to succeed, he must get down to work and results will show.
He was with the Tanzanian President a few days ago in Ethiopia; why didn’t they discuss matters of national importance there?
US President Barack Obama has been in office for a month and has not travelled, he is busy trying to repair the economy and better the lives of the American people.
Zambians are living in abject poverty and amid job losses, it is time the President and his Cabinet found solutions for the people.
I think he would have travelled more than any president we have ever had by the time he finishes his term of office.
http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/4911/64/
Police brutality
Written by HC – Ndola.
It is a very sad situation the way the police are handling citizens nowadays. I don’t know if we are living in a police state or not. I believe that there is procedure and a system with regard to dealing with people that break the law. What is really sad is that there seems to be no regard for human rights by the police in Zambia.
The picture on the front page of Saturday Post ( February 7, 2009) is sad indeed. The overzealous police officers beat up innocent citizens whose only crime was to go and show solidarity with their leader.
Looking at that ‘war face’ of the officer in sunglasses, I wonder if he would do the same if he were sent to Darfur because that’s where such energy is required.
If taxi and minibus drivers are unruly, then the traffic officers are worse. Somebody tell me, maybe I’m missing the point here, is this the new police service that has been introduced to serve us better? I would like to appeal to the Inspector General of Police to discipline his officers because I believe as a tax- payer, I pay them to protect me and not to harass me.
Labels: CORRUPTION, GMO, MAIZE, POLICE BRUTALITY
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Dr Lungu advises against changing policy on GMOs
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe and Ernest Chanda
Friday, February 13, 2009 7:54:33 AM
AGRICULTURAL scientist Dr Judith Lungu has advised against changing government policy regarding genetically modified organisms (GMO) because evidence has shown that they have an effect on the environment.
And agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo on Wednesday told Parliament that the government has no intention of blacklisting GIA International, the company that imported some genetically modified maize out of the 35,000 metric tonnes from South Africa.
Dr Lungu, who is University of Zambia (UNZA) School of Agriculture dean, said re-opening debate on whether Zambia should start consuming GMOs or not should not lead to a policy shift concerning the country's stance on the matter.
"There is need to research on the consumption of GMO maize in the country without politicising it," she advised.
Dr Lungu said the current knowledge on GMOs was not adequate to enable Zambia make a correct decision.
"There is a lot of evidence that GMOs have an effect on the environment. And those who are against GMOs are standing up for the fact that if you bring the seed, it will mix with the local seed and it will contaminate whatever we have as local seed," Dr Lungu said.
She advised that the consumption of GMOs had advantages and disadvantages, which needed to be verified through scientific research and not political statements.
"However, the country at the moment does not have the capacity to undertake trials on advantages and disadvantages of consuming GMO maize to enable the country come up with an informed policy decision," she said. "Until we have more information and we are sure that what we are taking is safe, then we will accept."
She further defended the biotechnology and bio-safety policy, which was implemented by the government in 2002 as a guiding principle to the country's position on GMO maize.
Asked on the timing of the pronouncements by President Rupiah Banda that the country should open debate on GMOs following the rejection of 35,000 metric tonnes of imported maize by FRA, Dr Lungu emphasised the need for more research on the matter, although she noted that the country currently did not have proper equipment and capacity to adequately handle trials on the possible side effects of GMOs.
"We don't have the capacity in terms of human resource and equipment because you have to be at a certain level of laboratory, from the policy you can tell that whatever research you are going to do from GMO must not come out of the air to go anywhere else and if you are doing with crops, the birds and the insect will come and get the pollen and take it elsewhere, so you must have the facility that will prevent that," Dr Lungu said. "There is need for facilitating this research, building capacity in terms of human resource and getting involved in this research, without that, we will just do politics as we have done before."
Dr Lungu also explained that a team previously appointed to ascertain the safety of GMO foods concentrated on getting results from other countries and not coming up with a local policy.
"We have our own scientists at Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), UNZA and National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR), they can do that kind of research if they are capacitated, so in opening up this dialogue, it means also capacitating these institutions that can provide this information," said Dr Lungu. "This information in other countries is coming from the research institutions, but if we are going to sit back and wait for information to come through the politics, it won't happen."
President Banda this week said there was need to reopen debate on GMOs following the importation of maize into the country that was rejected by FRA.
About 81 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes of maize imported from South Africa was genetically modified against the country's policy on GMOs.
And in his ministerial statement in Parliament, Dr Chituwo said some people were exaggerating the shortage of maize in the country.
Dr Chituwo's statement came after a question by Nkana member of parliament Mwenya Musenge who wanted to know if the government would consider terminating a contract with GIA International, especially that the same government had in the past blacklisted some Zambian companies for poor services.
"The contract with GIA International is still running, the law is still in place, and the system is there to ensure the safety of Zambians. We cannot blacklist a company that has a running contract with this government," Dr Chituwo said.
When asked by Zambezi West member of parliament Charles Kakoma whether one of the companies importing maize was for President Rupiah Banda's son, James, Dr Chituwo dismissed the allegation as an invention.
"I don't remember hearing or reading that the FRA chairman said that James Banda was awarded this contract. As a matter of fact, we do not scrutinise who owns which company, but those are mere allegations and I want the MP to prove that. Those are insinuations and I am not aware as Minister of Agriculture. However, anybody is free to participate in the development of our country although transparently," said Dr Chituwo.
Labels: BRIAN CHITUWO, GIA INTERNATIONAL, GMO, JUDITH LUNGU, MAIZE
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More nonsense from Rupiah
Written by Editor
In May 2002 when Zambia experienced hunger in most parts of the country, the World Food Programme (WFP) donated genetically modified maize to Zambia for relief. However, the then president Levy Mwanawasa, on the strength of professional advice, rejected the offer.
Levy said the whole world was aware that the implications of modern biotechnology products, such as genetic engineering, on human beings and animal health as well as the environment are not yet fully understood. He said the Zambian government would rather be cautious and not venture into the unknown by accepting genetically modified maize. He didn’t want to risk Zambians.
Actually, Levy declared the food shortage a national disaster in May 2002 when he said up to four million people faced starvation. In July, he assured Zambians that the country would not accept genetically modified maize until it had determined whether it was safe for human consumption. In the meantime, the government was looking to other sources of non-GM maize and financial resources to purchase the commodity.
In August 2002 and after a protracted debate over the safety of the genetically modified maize, the then chief government spokesperson Newstead Zimba, announced that the government had decided to reject a donation of genetically modified maize. This was after the WFP asked the government to quickly decide whether or not to accept the genetically modified food, saying a shipment destined for Zambia could be sent to other hungry destinations.
Announcing the government’s position, Newstead said government would not allow importation of genetically modified maize despite the food shortage and hunger in the country. He said all genetically modified foods, including the maize grain already in the country, should not and would not be consumed or distributed.
"We wish to inform the nation that as a government, we have taken into consideration the scientific advice about the long-term effects of the [genetically modified foods] and all related grains, and we are rejecting it," said Newstead.
When the WFP said genetically modified foods had been part of aid shipments to Zambia since 1996, the then agriculture minister Mundia Sikata accused donor nations of deceiving Zambia for seven years.
Throughout his presidency, Levy repeated the government’s stance on genetically modified organisms. His government even mobilised funds, in conjunction with the Norwegian government, to open the National Biotechnology Laboratory in Chilanga in 2007. Among other functions, this laboratory is used to detect GMOs in seeds and other foodstuff.
Last year, the Auditor General’s report revealed that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had in 2006 wasted over K23.6 billion when it purchased genetically motivated maize contrary to presidential directives.
"Contrary to the 2006 presidential directive on the importation of genetically modified maize, the agency in the same year imported, paid and received 3,000 metric tonnes of maize from Nyiombo valued at K3,689,647,200 (US$1,080,000) and 16, 000 metric tonnes of maize from Louis Dreyfus valued at K20,006,087,040 (US$5,856,000)," the report stated. "In addition, 6,000 by 50 kilogramme bags of GMO maize were delivered and received in Mkushi in May 2006. It was further observed that management gave Louis Dreyfus Limited a second contract without consulting the board for the supply of 12,000 metric tonnes of maize instead of buying cheaper maize which was to be ready at the end of March, 2006."
This was Zambia’s position as far as GM maize is concerned. There has been no policy shift or change. No one has complained or urged the government to review its position on GM maize.
It is therefore difficult to understand why Rupiah Banda is inviting Zambians to re-open debate on genetically modified maize when Zambians actively debated this issue in 2002 and put it to rest with consensus that genetically modified organisms should not be consumed in Zambia.
However, we would like to take note of the fact that about two weeks ago, FRA was supplied with almost 35,000 metric tones of genetically modified maize which they rejected and allegedly sent back to South Africa for not complying with Zambia’s policy on such grains. It was said that one of the suppliers has connections with Rupiah’s son, James. However, FRA board chairman Costain Chilala the other day said they were not aware at the time of awarding the contract that James was connected to one of the suppliers.
And when he was on Monday asked to comment on the mealie-meal shortages in the country and the genetically modified maize that was supplied to FRA, Rupiah only commented on the genetically modified maize. Among other things, Rupiah invited Zambians to re-open the debate on possible consumption of genetically modified maize meal as the case is in some countries. He said the government would determine whether the genetically modified maize should be milled at the border post or returned to South Africa. However, Rupiah cautioned Zambians to be wary of the devastating effects of genetically modified organisms on seed banks.
The question is: what is motivating Rupiah to re-open this debate on GMOs? What has changed to the reasons that government took into consideration when it arrived at the decision to ban GMOs?
Rupiah was Levy’s vice-president for two years. During this time, he made no suggestions as to why government needed to re-look at its policy on GMOs. And it was actually this same Rupiah who was in charge of relief food in the country. But he never raised this issue. Why is he saying all these things today? Is it to defend the business interests of those close or connected to him? Just because these people have imported genetically modified maize into the country then government policy must be changed to suit them?
Is this the way to manage public affairs? Is this way government policies are changed? Surely, is this the way to run a country?
This is what happens in a country when values are lost. This is what happens to a nation when corruption takes it over and reigns.
We are not saying government policies shouldn’t be subjected to review. But why should it take the importation of genetically modified maize by a John or James Banda for the government to change its policy and allow genetically modified maize to be brought into the country or milled at the border as it is being suggested by Rupiah? And which miller is at the border to handle such a high tonnage of genetically modified maize and turn it into mealie-meal? And which border is Rupiah talking about? Is it Sesheke, Kazungula, Livingstone or Chirundu? This is more nonsense, real nonsense from Rupiah.
But again, this is what happens when personal interest blinds people – they fail to see reality and start talking nonsense.
Labels: GMO, MAIZE, RUPIAH BANDA
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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
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Zamtel, GMO maize deals
Written by Editor
Corruption, abuse of authority and state-sponsored theft is too destructive a vice not to be commented on. We have always said as a people that Zambia is a rich nation, endowed with various natural resources. And yet, our people continue to live in abject poverty. One of the chief culprits for the lack of development and poverty that many of our people suffer from is corruption and abuse of authority.
Our leaders have grown accustomed to a culture that does not require accountability. Anyone asking them questions is disrespectful. It is wrong for people who occupy public office to refuse to tell the nation things that they are entitled to know.
We are shocked that grown-up men are failing to tell the nation who ordered the genetically modified maize, which the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) received. Why the secrecy? Why should the minister for agriculture refer us to FRA and FRA refer us back to the minister for agriculture?
The dealings of government in this matter are beginning to stink. There is something rotten going on. We know that there are some greedy people who want to endanger Zambians by changing the policy on GMO food to match their greedy and selfish business interests.
This is not the only rotten deal that is going on. There are many others. We call upon all Zambians to be vigilant. The corruption and abuse of power we are beginning to see in this government is just a tip of the iceberg.
There is also no doubt that the Zamtel transaction by the Ministry of Communications and Transport is not transparent and therefore smells of a lot of filth. There are so many questions that the ministry has to answer concerning this transaction, especially in the light of the legal opinion offered by Attorney General Mumba Malila.
Malila’s office offered very sound legal advice on the best way to proceed in implementing the proposed partial privatisation of Zamtel. However, in very strange circumstances, communications and transport minister Dora Siliya ignored the Attorney General’s advice and proceeded to finalise the deal.
The question is: Where is Dora drawing the courage to ignore sound legal advice from the Attorney General?
This is a very serious matter and Zambians must take interest in what is happening to their assets. Like Malila rightly observed, the sale or privatisation of Zamtel is a very serious exercise for reasons that are obvious. Zamtel has strategic importance to this country and its sale must be conducted in a very transparent manner, not just by a few people in the ministry in the company of the sons of people in power.
Malila raised very critical matters that require honest answers. Why isn’t Cabinet debating the issue? Indeed, why is the matter being dealt with by the minister for transport and communications and not the minister for finance who is the custodian of all government commercial interests? Worse still, where is the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) board in this whole transaction? Has the ZDA board approved this transaction?
In a matter of a few months, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is at the centre of at least two major single sourcing anomalies. Not too long ago, we were talking about the Kasumbalesa border post development which was being single sourced by Dora Siliya and Mike Mulongoti.
So much is going wrong under Rupiah Banda. With just three months in office, so many scandals are brewing. Unless we all remain vigilant and fight the culture of abuse that Rupiah and his people are trying to reintroduce, we are headed back to the Chiluba days, if not worse.
We do not draw any pleasure in criticising the government. But we have a duty to raise the alarm. We told people that Rupiah is corrupt and he was likely to run a corrupt government. But some thought we were going overboard. How can Dora Siliya just wake up and decide to sell Zamtelwithout Rupiah knowing?
Why is there silence about the involvement of Henry Banda, Rupiah’s son, in this transaction? We ask: is it a mere coincidence that James Banda’s name is being mentioned in connection with the maize debacle while Henry Banda’s name is linked to the Zamtel saga?
Why should important and strategic national assets be dealt with as if people are buying and selling shirts or shoes? As a country, we have acquired a lot of bad and good experiences on the subject of privatisation and how it should be handled.
We call upon our people not to remain silent when so much is going wrong. This is not about Rupiah and his children and how they decide to make their money. It is about the 12 million Zambians whose interests have been ignored.
These transactions need to be investigated. If the Anti-Corruption Commission have any teeth left to bite, they need to start investigating the Zamtel saga without delay. We cannot afford to give away another strategic national asset for nothing because of the greed of a few politicians. This must stop.
We have fought corruption as a newspaper not because we hate anybody or have an axe to grind with anyone. We hate corruption and what it does to our people and the country. This is why the fight against corruption must be won. Precedents must be set which show that regardless of who you are, you will be held to account.
The conduct of the Ministry of Communications and Transport is raising a lot of questions. Why should they move in such a careless and illegal fashion on such an important transaction? Unless someone is determined to ignore the law because there is a benefit they want to derive which is not clear to all of us.
Labels: GMO, MAIZE
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Nkombo reveals suppliers of rejected GMO maize
Written by Allan Mulenga and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sunday, February 08, 2009 7:58:22 PM
MAZABUKA UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo has said the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize which was rejected by Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was supplied by GIA International and Mark Daniels Zambia Limited.And agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo yesterday rebuked FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanaumo for referring all queries on GMO maize to him, saying he was not FRA spokesperson.
Briefing the press on Friday, Nkombo challenged home affairs minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa to quickly institute investigations, so as to establish people who were behind the two companies engaged for the supply of maize.
"We have declared the matter a scandal and we therefore, challenge Dr Kalombo Mwansa to find out who GIA International and Mark Daniels Zambia Limited are and their associates in the country because we shall not accept a situation where people close to the corridors of powers would want to benefit at the expense of poor Zambians," he said.
Nkombo hoped that no money had been wasted through the importation of GMO maize.
"It is extremely important because the food we eat forms part of our life. We have heard that Choma Milling Company has suspended its operations because of shortage of maize and there have been reports of mealie-meal shortages in major towns of the country," he said.
Nkombo said the government was to blame for the deficit in the staple food in the nation; saying they could have sourced non-GMO maize from other countries.
And Dr Chituwo said it was the duty of FRA to release information on the GMO maize importation as they were the implementing arm of the government.
"My advice is get to FRA. We make policy and they are our implementing arm. This whole process is in implementation stage and Dr Mwanaumo will be able to ably update you," Dr Chituwo said.
When reminded that Dr Mwanaumo had vehemently refused to comment on the matter insisting that only the agriculture minister could make a statement on the matter, Dr Chituwo said: "But how can you believe him? He is not my boss, but now he is directing me to be his spokesperson? Let me talk to him then I will get back to you."
By press time yesterday, Dr Mwanaumo could not be reached as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda observed that the current scandal on the importation of 35,000 metric tonnes of GMO maize clearly showed that the country would see more scandals in President Rupiah Banda's administration than in the Frederick Chiluba regime.
Lubinda challenged Dr Chituwo to clearly state the circumstances under which the maize was imported rather than referring the matter to FRA.
"But when government enters into under hand methods when they are caught, they fail to disclose what their course of action will be," Lubinda said. "At the rate things are going, we are bound to see even bigger scandals than the ones we ever saw in Chiluba days. The Rupiah Banda regime has been in office for less than 100 days but we have heard of so many scandals. You saw today in your newspaper the story you carried about the minister deciding to go against the advice of the Attorney General's chambers...we are bound to see more scandals than this country has ever seen."
Lubinda also challenged Dr Chituwo to admit the GMO maize scandal and not to put the blame on FRA.
"FRA is an agency of the government of the Republic of Zambia and they perform the functions of the Minister of Agriculture and there is no way the minister can say that he is not able to comment because he is not the spokesperson of FRA," Lubinda said. "FRA is just an agent and therefore the minister has all powers to comment. It is his duty. When FRA comments, they are actually commenting on behalf of the minister. So he [Dr Chituwo] should not run away from his responsibilities and putting the blame on the shoulders of FRA. That is not correct. The minister should own up."
Lubinda also warned of massive shortages of mealie-meal in the country owing to the manner in which the maize importation was being handled.
"I do not know but I am very sure that once you follow this up, it won't be shocking that there are some big shots involved in this deal," said Lubinda. "We didn't hear of the government change on the position on GMO products. As a result of attempts by this company to cheat the Zambian people by bringing cheaper GMO maize under the guise that it is non-GMO, there is going to be a huge shortage of maize and therefore mealie-meal in Zambia will go up purely because of the greed of the people who were contracted to bring in non-GMO maize."
Last Friday, FRA board chairman Costain Chilala disclosed that over 75 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes of maize imported last week by the agency had been sent back to South Africa because it was GMO type.
Chilala claimed that all the trucks that had GMO maize had been sent back to South Africa where it was sourced. However, Chilala could not state the exact quantity of maize that had been sent back.
Labels: GARY NKOMBO, GMO, KALOMBO MWANSA, MAIZE
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Chilala explains FRA's K23bn GMO maize deal
By Chibaula Silwamba and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thursday July 10, 2008 [04:00]
FOOD Reserve Agency (FRA) chairperson Costain Chilala yesterday revealed that former FRA acting executive director James Mazumba and a finance manager were fired for irregularly importing Genetically Modified (GMO) maize. But Mazumba said he executed his duties very well to avert possible political strife in the country due to the maize shortage in the run-up to the 2006 elections.
Reacting to revelations in the latest Auditor General's report for parastatal bodies for the 2006 financial year which indicated that FRA had wasted over K23.6 billion when it purchased GMO maize contrary to presidential directives, Chilala admitted that the agency indeed irregularly bought some maize which had GMO content.
However, he said the culprits were fired over the irregularity and that the maize was sent back to the country of origin.
"The fact is that FRA had a condition that no GMO maize should be bought. It was GMO free Lusaka and it was but for some reason between Mount Makulu and our officers, some GMO ended up entering the country and that maize ended up being paid for. And we fired the people who did that," Chilala said.
"We fired the acting executive director James Mazumba, the then finance manager because all this directive was very clear that the maize should have been received GMO free in Lusaka. I would not deny that the GMO was imported by intention or accidentally ended up in our warehouse. In fact it had to be escorted back using security forces back out of the country."
However, Chilala said the GMO maize that was imported was not more than 4000 metric tonnes hence the cost could not be K23.6 billion as claimed in the Auditor General's report.
He also said none of the GMO maize was consumed in Zambia.
"No maize was processed for feedstock, we knew there was GMO maize in our warehouses, someone between those two people, someone from management was trying to hide that maize into Mkushi.
We only knew about that ourselves after 300 metric tonnes was moved into Mkushi and that became a very serious offence. But since we knew that was a security issue, we did not want to talk about it because we did not want to alarm the nation. We rounded up all the maize and it was under lock and key," Chilala said.
"All of it was rounded up even the one which was taken to Mkushi was
re-exported back. I can tell you that none of that maize was sold to the millers in the country."
Asked whether FRA recovered the money spent on the GMO maize after it was sent back to its country of origin, Chilala said the government through that deal incurred a loss.
"My friend those are serious issues, it is difficult but I can find out whether it was recovered or how much that maize was sold for... on the freight, I can tell you that we made a bit of a loss," Chilala said. "It is not that we recovered all the money and that is the reason those people were fired because the condition and the importation rules were clear."
But Mazumba justified the Agency’s decision to import maize at the time, saying he acted deligently.
"At the time of importing this maize, my hand was in it and I was doing it for the wellbeing of the people of this country. I was very much aware that the shortage of maize can easily bring about political instability so I was aware of that and the need for me and my management to work diligently and above board," he said.
"At the time this maize was brought into the country, we had a drought in this country and we were going into an election year, and it was such a traumatising, pressurising time... it was an emergency and you will remember there was even a task force that was set at ministerial level because of the pressure and the emergency. Given this background that maize shortage can turn into a difficult situation, we had to look at every avenue to ensure that does not happen."
He said consequently a decision was made at ministerial level that the country import 200,000 metric tonnes of maize, out of which 50,000 metric tonnes were to be imported by the FRA.
"So, our concern was for the 50,000 metric tonnes and at that time, MPs were crying that people are dying or people are crying and that influenced us.
What FRA did was to move quickly to avert the situation and I want to say that we followed all tender procedures because as much as it was an emergency, we knew that it was important that procedures were followed," he explained. ", an open tender was there for anybody, the whole world could tender and that tender went through the Zambia National Tender Board."
He said Nyiombo, Louis Dreyfus and Profert were contracted to supply the maize.
"Apart from just following tender procedures, the contract also contained terms of supply, by terms of payment and this included the quality of the maize, weight, moisture, including non-GMO protection and all these were in the contract and obviously payments was by letter of credit.
So once the supplier is able to produce all these documents that are stipulated in the contract, then the bank would pay," Mazumba said. "So all these conditions except for the GMO, we had to get an independent tester because our supplier would not accept the test mark, we had to settle for an independent inspector to offer certificate of inspection for that GMO."
He said to show how stringent FRA was, Mt Makulu was brought in at all border entry points so that they could also act as a counter in case there were some maize that contained GMO.
"The Mt Makulu specimen sometimes was not very efficient so some of the maize was tested positive. From the same parcels some of the maize was testing positive while some was testing negative but then they took everything as positive," he said. "But there was debate that the positive maize was as a result of intermixing of the maize.
You remember that at the time the whole region needed maize; Zimbabwe was importing, Malawi was importing, Mozambique was importing and Zambia was importing from the same source, South Africa, and so there was that debate that the wagons that were being used were the same ones that the other countries in the region were using. So the issue of intermingling of GMO and non GMO maize is possible."
He also wondered why people concentrated on complaining about the 3,000 metric tonnes that had GMO content instead of looking at the 47,000 metric tonnes that did not contain GMO.
"We made sure that measures were put in place, we made sure that the maize was brought into the country and we fulfilled, there was food and the elections went ahead peacefully, actually I expected a bit of commendation but what I got was a termination of my contract," he said.
"There was another 150,000 metric tonnes brought into the country by other stakeholders but no one has talked about it and we don't even know if they tested to certify that they were non-GMO."
Mazumba also said he did not know how the GMO maize was disposed off
because his contract had been terminated.
On reports that the GMO maize was later hidden in Mkushi, Mazumba admitted that some maize had been taken to Mkushi as suppliers wanted to pick it from there by railway transport.
Asked whether his contract was terminated because of the GMO maize scandal, Mazumba said he did not know.
"I wouldn't know if my contract was terminated because of the GMO or not because my letter of termination did not say anything to that effect," said Mazumba.
Labels: FRA, GMO
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