PF acting vice president Given Lubinda has taken the blame for the shortage of mealie-meal stating currently being experienced in some parts of the country.
Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Lubinda said the PF should have left more maize reserves to last the country for seven years if they knew that the mealie meal challenge would escalate to the current extent.
He said the situation exposes the level of the government’s incompetence and lack of planning.
“We did one thing wrong. We should have produced enough stock to last for seven years.
He questioned the reason the government had suspended duty on the importation of mealie meal into the country, further insinuating that the government plans on importing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Lubinda said the importation of GMO products should not be allowed.
The former Kabwata PF member of parliament said if the country should import maize/mealie meal which country will it import from in the region as it is the only country that was supplying its neighbours.
“We are cognisant of the fact that when there is a shortage of maize in the region, pressure for Zambian maize grows exponentially,” Lubinda said.
He said importation should not be encouraged because it will lead to the collapse of the livestock industry as the means of making feed will be reduced.
Lubinda stated that the PF had already set out a plan in their policy which was to promote and maintain an open boarder policy so as to support an effective, predictable diversified and efficient market for cultural products.
Lubinda said the PF government left 1.5 million metric tons of maize in reserve, which could have lasted for over two years but that the UPND government chose to export it free of excise duty.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba April 13, 2023
