Speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Matibini has ordered Health Minister Joseph Kasonde to issue another ministerial statement on the investigations surrounding the importation of beef products by Zambeef.
This was after a point of order was raised by Monze Central United Party for National Development (UPND) Member of Parliament, Jack Mwiimbu, who wanted to know how far the investigations into importing contaminated beef into the country.
Mr Mwiimbu said health experts in the country had indicated that they did not have the capacity to verify the existence of the foreign substance, aromatic aldehyde, a chemical used for embalming corpses, and so requested the Speaker to order Dr Kasonde, to issue a statement on recent developments.
Mr Mwiimbu said because of the allegations, Zambeef had continued to suffer losses and in the long run, the matter was going affect Zambeef employees.
“In due course, you need to update the House on the findings of the investigations on this matter when the matter is concluded,” Dr Matibini said.
Earlier this week, tests on meat products on the two Zambeef trucks detained at the Katima Mulilo Border post revealed NO sign of Aromatic Aldehydes. Aromatic Aldehydes are believed to cause cancer.
Health Minister , Joseph Kasonde said the two trucks have since been released to proceed with delivery of the products to Zambeef. Dr. Kasonde however said inspections on food products entering the country will be intesified to ensure they are fit for human consumption.
Dr Kasonde also said results on tests done in South Africa and Germany on the alleged unwholesome meat products seized from Zambeef are not yet out.
Last Week, Dr Kasonde told parliament that preliminary tests run on some Zambeef imported products tested positive of Aromatic Aldehydes.
Good suggestion.I also want to know.
There is NO need for the speaker to order the minister of health to issue a ministerial statement… this is a serious issues and the minister of health should know better ..must know his job and do it properly and let the nation know as his duty,,, not being order around like a grade one kid
Yaku!
Uum! I will not be surprised to hear that, the earlier test showing positive was a mistake and zambeef suing the government with the way things?
My thinking as well… its time this thing went to court so someone can pay some money
They are out,a lab in germany and south africa can not take decades to come up with results of a small sample of beef,baffikal ebena katema ni nsoni fye muleumfwa,you have realised that you were misled big time by membe but you cant just own up
we all want to know wat exactly the result of their finding becouse such stetement would threat the peace our country has been enjoing!
Are we so dull? An embalmed body has a distinct smell.No matter how hungry a Zambian is I doubt he/she can eat meat smelling like the last body viewing he/she attended. It was all a hoax people.Zambeef should sue the PF government.By the way how far has the lapgreen case against government gone? Zamtel was better run under the Libyans sorry to say.
Ex Moma- Smarten up, the chemical can be injected and the meat spiced. If Zambeef really thought they were innocent, they would have sued sources, don’t you think they would have sued?
hahahahah
@Lord Fimo-fimo; I am sure ZamBeef will sue once they have conclusive scientific evidence from the different labs (I hope they wont settle for an out of court settlement). The government quickly went on the offensive based on statements of a whistle blower. There may have been the preservative present in the offals they tested, however there are variations of the aldehyde group.
The Speaker is simply doing his job.
Now the Minister of Health must do his.
Zambeef need to explain what food safety
measures they are taking to protect
consumers. Its all hands on deck. We
need the crisis to end.
why does the minister of health need to be told/order by the speaker in order for him to perform his duties??
It is useless for the ministry of health to say that the don’t have test results from south Africa and Germany after releasing a statement that the meat contaminated does it mean we should not trust any test taken in Zambia by the ministry of health
Only if you knew the capacity of the lab used in the first place, you would have asked the question above.
On a different note, the name given to the new stadium in Lusaka doesn’t mean well. Would have been better to even call it FALLEN HEROES’ STADIUM unlike Gabon Disaster National Stadium.
To the PF government Disaster stadium sounds great……especiallly to kabwili and musumba
That’s sad…Just how…Gabon Disaster National Stadium.
I think this govt thinks they own us. Also it seems we don’t know our rights. Pple have the right to protest…Gabon Disaster National Stadium? What nonsense is this? How did they come up with this queer name surely, was it a committee or Kambwili/Sata?
Yaba!!!
If it is true that the stadium shall be call by that name, Gabon….. difficult even to complete. That is a shame as they are now associating an entire nation of Gabon to such negativity. This sounds like a possible diplomatic problem….
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! you are joking right? please tell us you are Joking? Wow just wow!
While waiting for results from whereever is it ok to continue consuming zambeeef
meat products now
You are spot on. we are tired of vegetables huh
If this ordeal was brought about due to personal vandetas, i say ZAMBEEF SUE! dont be intimidated by who so ever think they are above the law and can therefore, man handle any citizen, inverstor etc, on the other hand, if Zambeef is found wanting, I say take them to the Gallos, they should meet their fate!
Otherwise, am curious as to why someone would cook up such a Ginormous lie about such a company……..,If really it adds up to nothing but lies, then the persons behind it are either demented, no brains and above all, Killers/ criminals who deserve nothing but straight to the Gallos, not even chimbos, but Mukobeko, i say hurry up with the final report so we deal with them! Either one.
Hate this speaker ,hate PF
Is it just me who thinks Ndobo is some excited grade 9 pupil who is just learning how to use a computer? I find Ndobo’s reasoning extremely shallow and pathetic at times.. grow up please for your own sake
It’s a free country. Let Ndobo reason in peace. Learn to be civil and stop personal attacks on fellow commentators.
Leave our Ndobo alone at least he contributes and listens ala what sense have you contributed yourself today on LT?
EXAMPLES AND SOURCES OF AROMATIC ALDEHYDES:
1. Benzaldehyde – Almonds, apricots, apples and cherry kernels
2. Cinnamaldehyde – cassia, cinnamon leaves and bark, grapefruit, celery seed, clove bud and lemon balm
3. Vanillin – vanilla beans
You know vanilla and you know cinnamon. I rest my case.
So if Parliament was in recession – who would have ordered the minister of health given that we have an absentee president in state house who only comes alive when he is abroad or at by-election campaign or swear-in ceremony…. and the office of Vice President is filled by a ceremonial toothless veep.
These are simple issues that do not need someone to be ordered its just a matter of releasing the results to the press, it only becomes complicated when you add the Post in the equation. And they wonder why some on line media websites make their own conclusions.
We deserve better leaders not this bloated compromised cabinet of deadwood who are enjoying a free lunch at the expense of the tax payer.
If this ordeal was brought about due to personal vandetas, i say ZAMBEEF SUE! dont be intimidated by who so ever think they are above the law and can therefore, man handle any citizen, inverstor etc, on the other hand, if Zambeef is found wanting, I say take them to the Gallos, they should meet their fate!
Otherwise, am curious as to why someone would cook up such a Ginormous lie about such a company……..,If really it adds up to nothing but lies, then the persons behind it are either demented, no brains and above all, Killers/ criminals who deserve nothing but straight to the Gallos, not even chimbos, but Mukobeko, i say hurry up with the final report so we deal with them! Either one.
Yes why don’t they….you have not been closely following this issue from the start and DON’T make ZAMBEEF out as if they are innocent parties in this saga…there is also the small issue of the whistle blower and the emails to and from the ZAMBEEF CEO to his counterparts. Sadly our security agencies were too slow to act and should have been at the company’s H/Q immediately this transpired and confiscated PC hard drives as everything may have been shredded & wiped clean by now. I think there is more to this story, I just hope they also sent some of those samples for DNA analysis to RSA. I would not be shocked if traces of horse meat was found.
Ask yourself this simple question – why did ZAMBEEF remove the named products from its shelves if there was nothing wrong with them? Why?
JJ, am so neutral on this case, i have no sides, am just pointing out that either way, anyone found wanting should be dealt with. Thankx for more info anyways.
The solution is to make Zammbeef surrender all its retail outlets to the zambians and concetrate on processing. U cant have the same company farming, importing, processing, distributing and retailing. Thats too much in a poor economy like Zambia. I wonder if this is not illegal under the competitiom act. We need to deliberately create room for other economic actors within this industry for the benefit of other zambians. My suggestion is that the same zambian workers in the outlets are assisted take to over the business so that we do not experience jobs losses. I personally do not see Zambeef surviving this sunami and rising to their original economic status again . I see this giant crumbling down if there is no change strutural now. We will end up losing the same jobs we are protecting no
Science and Technology require ingredients to take root. These ingredients include trust, patience and humility. If beef is contaminated, then the right thing to do is to accept findings. It is necessary to accept health guidelines and directives for the good of the community. Remember mad cow disease? Remember horse meat? Science and Technology depends on basic ethics for it to succeed.
The problem here is that the average Zambian has no clue what you mean by horse meat or what drugs horses are fed on – to them horse meat might as well look like game meat not knowing that there is no difference in texture between beef and horse-meat.
The Zambian authorities should have sent health officials and investigators to the source of these products in Europe… if its in the UK it can be traced back to the farmer as each cow is given a unique passport BUT if the source is in EU then you will never find out where these offals, livers and kidneys are coming from or mixed with.
Why bother with this combusome procedure and just out rightly BAN importing meat products from Europe as you can NEVER trust these sly faceless European companies with your food (simple as that).
What’s a ministerial statement for? does it serve any purpose in Zambia?. The nation is under black clouds where there is secretiveness, myths and mystery in running govt. The absence of presidency and government implies de facto leadership running government and national matters awaiting an ailing presidency assisted by an illegal appointed Chibesakunda in the judiciary. How long this may last is anybody’s guess.
I don’t really understand why it should take so long to determine whether amaldahyde is present or not. How many labs to we have that can do that.
By now, if I were ZamBeef or MoH, I could have ordered a testing machine and it would have been here by now, and this issues would be dead.
Do we need to wait another 90 days?
#Bufi
Ndobo is a useless ball altogether! grow up wanker!
@Imbwa CJ,don’t u think your comment is rather misplaced?
Can someone put this chemical in judge Chikopa’s tea!
…..we dont need to import meat mwebantu. Govt should have a deliberate policy to support mixed farming. We too sleepy as Zambians, thats the problem. Leaders of the day even make the situation worse.
Spot on!!
Why should it take the Speaker to remind the Ministry of Healt to do their job? This is incompetence of the worst kind. No Zambeef has started a “bufi” campaing takind advantage of the silence by the relevant government ministris. Its a shame!!
Looks like the Minister of Health was bribed by Zambeef. If you remember, before the story spread, he already knew but just kept quiet. Let this man be fired, he has no heart for the country!!
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