Undisclosed number of maize bags earmarked for destruction by Food Researve Agency (FRA)have been ransacked by villagers in Shangombo district.
Shangombo Commissioner Martin Mwauluka confirmed to ZANIS yesterday that some FRA maize bags which were taken for destruction at Mboiwa waste disposal site have been stolen.
Mr Mwauluka said the maize bags which were stored in the Catholic storeroom were certified un fit for human consumption due to the bad state of the bags which were discovered heavily infested by grain borers.
The District Commissioner said the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) ordered FRA to have the maize destroyed by burning it after they (ZEMA)issued a certificate of destruction.
Mr Mwauluka said a total of 412 x 50kg bags of maize were taken for destruction on 9th October, 2012 but it was discovered that some bags which were at the bottom of the heap which did not catch fire that was burning throughout the night were stolen for consumption by the nearby villagers.
The DC has since expressed worry following the incidence saying consumption of the condmned maize may lead to diseases, a situation he said may as well be a cost to government in case of a disease outbreak .
Mr Mwauluka has since directed the district council to provide maximum security at the damping site and ensure that all the infested maize was burned and that no grain was taken by the villagers.
ZANIS
Its called Njala and its real in the rural areas.
No one will die naimwe.Our ancestors have been eating grains in such a state for generations.
Useless govt……
Lol! Mr Mwauluka please how can you accuse innocent villagers without any evidence? Stop working on assumptions. It is possible that the people mandated to destroy the maize are the ones who helped themselves with the maize. Even yourself Sir, should regard yourself as suspect. There’s nothing stopping you guys from declaring over 400 bags of maize as being rotten when in actual fact its only half. Please only accuse the villagers if you have proof!
#3 Livingstone. What is wrong with you? Each time you open your mind to blog all we get is foul breath. Imagine yourself to have stolen something….. are you going to report yourse
lf as thief? Grow up man.
Africa which has a lot of hunger, and receives food parcels from the West must not allow this waste of food.
If we have too much, why can’t mealie meal be cheaper or at least distribute the maize to communities such as the one in Shang’ombo that went to help themselves to the rotting maize? In the face of this waste, the people who helped themselves are entitled to good maize from the stock piles of fresh and good maize at FRA and other strategic national storages.
Government must give out this maize to the people. No Zambian should be hungry when God has blessed us with good harvests of maize.
Barotseland – We will be free at last. The government of Zambia is keeping maize to through and pipo are suffering. Sometimes I do cry for my country barotseland.