HAKAINDE Hichilema is telling lies to the international community that Zambia has exported all the maize and is now importing the same grain at a much higher price than was sold out, Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda has charged.
Mr Hichilema told BBC Focus on Africa on Friday that Zambia had exported all the maize at US$200 and was now importing the grain at US$500 per metric ton, a statement Mr Lubinda said was alarming the nation and meant to cause panic in the maize market.
Mr Lubinda said Zambia was not importing maize and would not be importing the grain this year because the country has enough maize to last up to August this year contrary to lies that the country had ran out of the grain.
He said as a matter of fact, Zambia was food-secure and that Mr Hichilema was alarming the nation that there was a food crisis in the country.
Mr Lubinda has given Mr Hichilema a seven-day ultimatum in which to tell the nation about millers who could have imported maize and state the quantities at the alleged price of US$500 per metric ton, failure to which, the opposition leader would be considered a politically habitual liar.
Mr Lubinda said Zambia had 227, 000 metric tons of maize available for export and that about 594.000 metric tons was available for consumption up to August this year.
“The levels of desperation by Mr Hichilema and the UPND are worrying. It looks like Mr Hichilema and the UPND have run out of democratic ideas to sell to the electorate and have resorted to telling lies. Mr Hichilema has lost shame and morality and is now willing to parade himself before foreign media houses to tell lies about his own country.
He is alarming the country by lying that Zambia is importing maize at US$500 after selling the grain at US$200. We are not importing maize and we are not going to import the grain this year,” Mr Lubinda said.
Mr Lubinda said on Thursday, he informed the nation that Zambia had allowed the exportation of maize and that 227,000 tons of the grain was available for export.
He said Mr Hichilema was not importing maize bran for his livestock and was getting such animal feed from farmers within Zambia.
“Even newspapers that hate the PF with a passion reported this. Even Mr Hichilema’s favourite newspaper carried the story but it is not surprising because Mr Hichilema has become so desperate that he cannot be stopped by morality in his lies. Let Mr Hichilema state within seven days who in Zambia is importing maize and in what quantities,” Mr Lunbinda said.
Mr Lubinda said Mr Hichilema’s sense of anxiety of taking up the country’s presidency had become alarming adding that there was no country in the world that was selling maize at US$500.
“He said Mr Hichilema was not importing maize bran for his livestock and was getting such animal feed from farmers within Zambia.” Thought Lubinda was well reserved, why does one has always to talk about someone’s wealth…
PF and Lubinda have failed the Agricultural sector and risk our food security due to selfishness. There is exporting of Maize even now in border town and the agents are PF cadres. So PF are the ones lying.
And why do they think the price of maize is going up? And why can’t they do anything? Is simply because they have sold all our stocks and now want to us tax payers money to import back and at a very high cost. Shame!
There have been so many inconsistencies for Edgar, VP Inonge and Lubinda over maize situation in Zambia. What is consistent though, is mealie price is going up everyday. Can Lubinda explain this?
@Lungu propagandist lies. Where is your evidence?
@Whiskey, it’s not a hidden fact that inflation is being caused by too many chasing maize. HH is an economist his tactic is to trigger a rush to buy maize that way demand overtakes supply dramatically.
@ on tala above is for you, pardon Whiskey.
As usual, what PF says, belief the opposite.
Fuel shortages will soon kick in, whilst PF police are watching the PF bandit cadres mediocrity of publicly undressing a woman is shocking! As it happened, Inonge Wina & Davis Chama were enjoying the mayhems’ on Youth Day.
Lubinda is desperate, in fact it is the PF who are cheating the international community, whilst violence on innocent people is a norm of arming cadres. PF you have Pathetically Failed, whilst Lusaka Times dances to PFs fantasia.
Pressure Freckled is PF.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
HH is an egomaniacal tribal bigot. Like Mr Lubinda said, let him produce the evidence. Hecky Hecky No! is the laughing stock of the international community. They know the man is a perpetual loser and dictator who has held on to the presidency of his party without a convention unlike PF or MMD. Unfortunately because Hecky Hecky No! thinks he is clever than anybody, he thinks the international community is not privy to his shenanigans!
HH is now a political lunatic
Joh 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
“Mr Lubinda said Zambia had 227, 000 metric tons of maize available for export and that about 594.000 metric tons was available for consumption up to August this year“…..
PF is full of confusion, defending a lie and creating another lie !!! so what bo lubinda is saying is that after august there will be no maize in Zambia,,,
Its your boss Kadansa who told us he was going to import maize from south america.
In any case why are our outlets running out of mealie meal across the country?
The problem with you pathetic failures is you only react when the horse has bolted. You were warned when you allowed uncontrolled export of maize but because you were desperate for the dollar you never listened.
@1 DO YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND ENGLISH. I DID NOT READ OR SEE ANYWHERE WHERE MR LUBINDA WAS TALKING ABOUT ANYONE’S WEALTH. THAT IS JUST IN YOUR HEAD. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, ASK OTHERS TO INTERPRET IT TO YOU. YOUR QUOTATION MAKES IT EVEN OBVIOUS THAT ENGLISH IS A BIG PROBLEM TO YOU. BECAUSE THAT QUOTATION DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY ELEMENT OF MR LUBINDA DISCUSSING SOMEONE’S WEALTH. READ THE ARTICLE, AGAIN.
@ndobo: I have NO IDEA why we Zambians like to make empty arguments even in situations that are self-explanatory. What Mr. Lubinda said is actually makes a lot of business sense, unless of course you are pretending to have lived in Zambia, let alone to be a native Zambian vest in the farming seasons there.
Look, by August the current season’s crop will have been harvested and I am sure, despite the challenging rains this year, it will very easily exceed the 227, 000 metric tones slated for export. I an sure you do understand that Zambia has very limited grain storage capacity, right? So Govt (being the biggest buyer of grain in Zambia) has to make room for this season’s harvest. This makes sense than listening to !D!ots who have no clue whatsoever what the country’s agric. market…
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This makes sense than listening to !D!ots who have no clue whatsoever what the country’s agric. market works. GOVT shouldn’t be acting just so they can please LOUD-MOUTHS OPPOSITION LEADERS like HH.
GET A GRIP FOLKS!!!!
The BIG question Mr Minister is “What happens after August 2016 when the grain run out?”
Lungu said we were going to have to import maize from Brazil. So bo Lubinda tell us. How much did you export the maize for and considering your boss wants us to import from Brazil, how much will/would it cost to import from Brazil? Only then can we compare with what HH is saying and decide whether or not to call him a liar
Indeed you re a trump, I don’t see anywhere Lubinda talking about wealth or are you trying to remind us of his wealth? Let’s read these articles objectively regardless of our political affiliation.
Mr Lubinda said Zambia had 227, 000 metric tons of maize available for export and that about 594.000 metric tons was available for consumption up to August this year.
Lubinda you are a pathological lair, how come you got out of your seat when you got information about the 38 truck heading to export maize to our neighbours if we have such a huge stock, 227 000tons of white maize. Lubinda, your diploma is not helping you handle that office you are occupying.
Mr lubinda truthful , he said zambia exported the maize at 200 usd per ton and the the the situation is going we might import at 500 per ton.
Even that us still alarmist. His projections are not based on truth. You can’t cry Wolf too many times or the people will turn a blind eye to you. You haven’t long to go.
Makasa, please excuse bo Lubinda, he did not understand english at that point, he was in a jitter about being exposed in the maize export saga so he misunderstood what HH was saying lol. Wonder who we will believe in the PF as they seem to contradict each other on this maize issue. Here is a little poem dedicated to them. OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE? WHEN WE FIRST BEGIN TO DECEIVE.
Based on calculations, if we were to import maize from south America, it will cost us 500 usd, remember by August the maize will run out and the maize from the current season will not be on the market
Seven days we shall wait. And some citizens are gathering together to make a case against HH and foreign countries causing disquiet in Zambia in a Human Rights case! We are sick of this chap.
He is a stupid ***** as some politician used to those who opposed him truly it suits ichilema akalemanika Zambia tekwesha viva shakafuswa mubanga and others who have ditched this tribalist
Mr imbecile patriot abroad, what evidence are you asking for? If you have got anyone you can ask to check for you at mwami border, they would tell you that trucks loaded with maize are lined up every day to cross into malawi.
Which citizens are you talking about, you? Or you mean the marijuana smoking failed priest Frank Bwalya… Yabaaa!!
You @ Voice of unreasonableness, we want the proof that we are reimporting maize at $500. Where is the evidence? If you and your anarchist friends had it you would be swinging through Lusaka with it.
You @ Voice of unreasonableness, I can never be a pauper. I have through my parents 400 hectare acre farm, 3 flats for rent, 2 business properties and a plot to build on through my sister. Now if that us a fact at Ministry of lands what us your beef with this scavenging pauper nonsense! Shut up and get a life with your intimidation.
@voice of reason: Since when did smuggling become a Zambian Govt’s way of exporting grain? If that’s the case how then does the same Govt turn around and impound the trucks ferrying the grain to export markets? You see; even if you want to blame the Govt for everything, try to say things that make sense!
Ironically it is some of the same Opposition leaders who are engaged in such vices, especially the exportation of corn meal after getting cheap maize from FRA—this is the biggest problem we have in Zambia—and it didn’t just start with the PF Govt. Unfortunately in so many instances, Zambians seem all too eager to undermine their own economic situation and then blame the Govt for it. I can assure you, if every citizen took interest in assisting authorities stop corruption, Zambia…
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…Zambia would move leaps and bounds to being the Country we all dream of. But for as long as we, ordinary folks, are ever willing to look the other way when we see wrongs/corruption taking place, Govt’s efforts alone will never be enough!
@ Yambayamba
Illegality and lack of accountability is a cornerstone of Plunderers Federation.
Just compare statements on the issue given by President, Vice President and Mr. Lubinda. Which one do you believe?
Instead, Lubinda is switching attention to HH which has only repeated President statement which was published on this site.
Born a liar always a liar this is typical of a president of united party for national destruction if you destroy for the sake of winning where will you start from come grow up ichilema Nawakwi knows how to describe you better by the way where is she now
Maiz stock to last up to August 2016. Lubinda is arguing his own statement.
He went on to say, we are not importing any maize this year! You read and reason with whatever you chose as truth.
By that time we shall have harvested dull man
@ 1mbecile abroad
Whose statement was reported on this site three weeks ago stating export and import price of maize?
HH? NO
It was LUNGU!!!
Does your inbreed 1mbecility also affects your pea size selective memory?
I always tell you on this fora that hh’s desperation for state house is too much and now irritating a lot of Zambians!!HH HAS PAINTED ZAMBIA ABROAD AS ALL HE WANTS IS OUR SMALL ECONOMY TO COME TO ZERO,THEN HOPING THAT IF THAT HAPPENS THEN ALL VOTERS WILL TURN AGAINST PF!!now what do upnd gain by talking to bbc over Zambia?WILL THOSE LISTENING TO HH’S RANTINGS ABROAD VOTE FOR HH?THIS MAN IS INDEED AN UNDER 5 POLITICIAN!!
We hate him with a passion. He has sunk to such a low his soul is now irretrievable!
Totally under 5 if not prematurelly born what value does it to Zambia by discrediting your country at least malema of south Africa does not behave like ichilema although behaves childishly
Mr Lubinda be awre that there is shaortage of maize and meal maize is expensive in all parts of Zambia. PF through Lubinda lied that maize meal in Kasama is @ k25.
Pathological liers.
You @ unreasonable voice below thus comment, I have replied twice but looks like Lt have blocked that response. You are pathetic.
@ 1mbecile abroad
Others may or may not be pathetic, but you are laying son of many unknown fathers whose syphilitic sperm is a reason behind your inbreed 1mbecility.
@patriot abroad, your poverty has definitely gotten into you. You can hate him with your passion but, that won’t take you out of your misery. You will die a pauper wether you like it or not. Gorillas are more civilized that those who hate others because of their tribes.
Listen you @Voice of so called unReasonable. I can never be as poor as you say. In the final analysis, through my parents I have a 400 hectare acre farm in Lusaka East, I have 3 Flats for rent and 2 business properties. And a plot of land through my sister. Now if that is a registered fact at Ministry of Lands then what foolish low ar.se nonsense are you and your silly uk detractors peddling here about scavenging? Keep to the blog topics instead of blogging yourself with lies. If scavenging was my only hole I would have spent my life chasing my relatives off those properties, but instead I have sought my own life’s productions.
Infact Kasama should not even be buying maize meal there is plenty cassava tute kalundwe sadly Kaunda destroyed dependence on tute started promoting maize growing let’s back to our roots
Good thinking @Roka
Lubinda, we know you! You were fired for stealing money from Chikuni Jam factory! Your antics are dirty and smelly!
In fact Lubinda you dont have a Form5 certificate because you failed – so how are you going to stand as an MP?
So ba what do you want? You want your overzealous frank bwalwa to report him to the police.
“Mr Hichilema has lost shame and morality and is now willing to parade himself before foreign media houses to tell lies about his own country.”
I’m sorry, however you cannot trust politicians who will destroy their own country or it’s reputation for political gain.
So what is the alternative to the PF? FDD? Is there any party that will break with the IMF/WB and this Eurobond nonsense?
They will all do the same thing as PF while blaming PF to get away with it. Thus UPND us a giant Faker.
@ 1mbecile abroad
“…UPND us a giant Faker…”, it may or it may not be true.
What is certain, Plunderers Federation has destroyed economy whilst lining theirs corrupt “pockets” with billion of U$ dollars and left population with useless and worthless coins.
Blah blah blah even Given now sounds like a kaponya. I had always thought he was one of the few non Kaponya members in PF but I guess if you hang around with kaponyas for too long you ending becoming one. What I know is that the president said the government was making plans to import maize from Brazil, meanwhile maize is being exported, that’s a fact. In reaction HH said how do you export maize at $200 and import it at $500. Because according to him its being exported at $200 and the cost of bringing it from Brazil is $500. I fail to see where the controversy is?
The controversy is you saying you know something whilst retracting it at the same time. If it is true what you say, then why did HH go to make a statement based on supposition? That man is low and completely insane from his efforts to win power.
Exactly what I was saying. .but as usual PF wants twist what HH said!
What race is Given Lubinda? For all I know, God in his infinite mercy and wisdom, he created a black person and a white person, but he never created the type of Lubinda. He is a made-made race and this explains his slyness. He never tells or accepts the truth.
Thus unacceptable!
God s creation, just shows you are a racist, man never created man. Let us discuss the theme and not the colour or tribe. In short get civilised.
@God’s Creation
Shame on you. And you call yourself God’s creation?! Like kubweka said stick to the subject. I didn’t know there are actually people in Zambia who can be this low.
Lubinda should first tell the nation at how much per tonne was our maize exported. We should go step by step. Let Lubinda accept or deny whether pf did not export maize and at how much.
Come on. This is phishing in law. You make an allegation and then try to wade through your accusers documents to prove your case!
PF don’t reveal monetary figures in case their looting is exposed.
@ 1mbecile abroad
This is not “phishing” in law.
That the Government had exported maize is a FACT.
As to the price, morality, logistics and reasons, it comes under legal term of “CANDOUR” and there is specific judicial process called “Judicial Review”.
For more info and education on the subject, refer to O.53 if the “White Book” (1999).
This is a non-brained. It is not rocket science. Just show the proof and show it to the Zambian people that it is a lie. Making a statement does not prove a thing. Anybody can say anything.
If you make an allegation you prove it. That’s how it goes. Lubinda has said its untrue and that is his statement back. He does not have to prove HH’s lies. What type of thinking is this by confused UPND. It seems you concede it is a lie and that is your modus operandi.
This “BIG MOUTH” Lubinda, when his boss mentioned that Zambia plans to import maize, he never gave him 7 days ultimatum to prove it.
Now that poor HH, talked about Zambia importing maize, its an opportunity to attack and discredit him.
Dirty politics!!!
Lungu said zambia would import maize from south america
Observer, you are right. Lungu did say that.
What’s wrong with these learned lawyers who have been entrusted to manage Zambian wealth. He opens the conversation with Zambia having no need to import maize and closes with Maize lasting up to August. What happens there after? He at one announced the export of Maize at $ 200 per tonne. Without using a brain it means after August Zambia will import maize. Zambia will not dictate the price of the maize. I believe market forces will come into play. It will definitely be more than $ 200. Fact check Lubinda is misleading. HH most likely to be close to the truth in his projections.
August new gravest apparently!
Iwe there is a shortage of mealie meal…deal with that one can stop exporting
Twanaka naimwe bama kaka ubufi what will happen after August we only have stocks up to then
I saw trucks and trucks with maize at Mwami border on TV where a customs official was explaining that the maize was being transported to Malawi without valid papers. Was this stage managed by the PF or some would say PF propaganda? If equally maize is being imported into Zambia has anybody seen these trucks laden with imported maize or are they using bush paths?
if some one smuggles maize out of the country, does it mean gov. is exporting maize. there has to be an understanding that we have top in SADEC and COMESA as far as maize harvest is concerned, so there is pressure for smuggling maize out of the country. within and around neighboring areas of our country.
Parrot abroad, you are a victim of pf malicious brain wash because pf can talk any rubbish, you do not have a choice but to swallow it, because of brain damage.what we are saying is this, many zambians remember lungu as saying that Zambians never starve because they will order maize from RSA, while given says everything is fine there will be no importing maize. Now between the two who is telling the truth? Because of these contradictory statements, cabled with the maize meal shortages country wide reason dictates that we rubbish given’s denials mere coverup aimed at calming the nation, in order to win votes – but majority zambians are not brain washed as you are to take any crap.
sir, the president said IF, AND ONLY IF, we had a looming shortage the we would take a three point plan,
1. halt any form of exportation of maize grain and maize meal and tie up boarders from being porous to curb smuggling of maize grain and maize meal
2. FRA to sweep up all the remaining maize grain and beef up maize security
3. Last resort is to import maize grain from Brazil.
this is IF OR ONLY IF A LOOMING SHORTAGE WOULD THREATEN FOOD SECURITY.
so far only one has happened, and that is stopping export of maize until further notice.
The FRA starts buying this year’s grain in or about July. Last year’s grain will be finishing in august. Uushumfwa mutunono namufingi…
What do you expect from HH? The man is so separate for power. Let him know that we as Zambians will not allow this man to rule us no matter what…
Hh’s antics are pathetic! He thinks that rushing to international media’ll boost his electoral chances? Speaking negatively about his country, where does that leave his patriotism? They form a cabal to mop up grain through exports to creat a crisis and they are busy singing about it, hh has picked up on Zimbabwe’s Tsvangirai syndrome and that’ll not take him to state house!Under 5 indeed!
Mr LUBINDA YOU ARE A HABITUAL LIAR….YOU CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT LIE YOU TOLD A WEEK AGO. LIAR LIAR LIAR
this is rather personal and not issue based. what did he lie about and whats your evidence. debates are about issues not persons, so how did he lie to the nation and on what issues.
commodity price of maize is less than $250 metric tone on the international market, even if we were to import, it would not be @$500 because of the slamp in commodity prices, we are not importing maize grain at all and we will not export it, SADEC report suggests that southern region, Zambia had the highest maize harvest and south-Africa. with all honest, MR H.H seem to have his information misplaced. it would suffice if he had evidence.
You are conveniently forgetting that it was the PF government which said maize will be imported from South America…..not HH
Hon Lubinda, please can you be a bit professional. who announced that we would importing maize from South America? Was it HH or your commander in Chief? When HH says we are going to buy maize @$500.00 please can you ask all the Minister of Finance to calculate how much it costs to bring a ton of maize from South America?
You have lied to the nation about the maize situation in the country and our people are dying around
Explain this to me Minister: No maize shortage, installed solar milling plant to reduce price; why then the shortage of meal mealie at high cost. Oh I forgot, the UPND cadres are buying in bulk to create artificial shortage so as to create anarchy. Wonder where these cadres are getting the money from to bulk stuff they don’t need. By the way PF cadres and their president are meanwhile buying beer in bulk to create shortages, so that come 11 August, UPND will celebrate victory without a beer. SAME
The Supreme Leader HH of the UPND is not only a liar but also a sadist.We are alive to the fact that he tormented the late President Mr Michael Sata upto the last hour he died thru’ his Zambian Watchdog and some of his MPs who worship him…Such is the nature and character of the Supreme Leader HH if you have forgotten and he will never change…
Your Sata too tormented Levy until he died.
@ PM at least Mr Sata reconciled with Levy before he died but your Supreme Leader HH of the UPND didn’t have the opportunity to do so because of his bitterness,however, the Supreme Leader HH still has an opportunity to repent like everyone else…
HH is a well known political and habitual liar.
HH’s desperation gone to another level! So even if govt was exporting or importing maize at the figures is dreaming about, why tell that to BBC? What is BBC going to do about it? It is now clear that HH indeed is an under 5 politician, who thinks that discrediting his country will make him win elections when infact he is emberrasssing and disgracing himself in the eyes of voters.
ubututu naimwe the man was asked a question so you expected him to lie and cover up your bad governance.
So to some people, to if and only if the level of our maize stock threatens food security, then we will import means the importation has already been effected. Is this the new way of reasoning by the so called intelligent and smart thinking people. Please lets be smarter than this and let us respect the readers despite their mistakes. It is better to debate with respect than to insult knowing very well that someone did not even mean what you say he meant. Be reasonable please!!!!!!
“….the country has enough maize to last up to August this year”. So what will happen after August this?
*****, the 2015/16 harvest will be ready
If it is true that Zambia has 227,000 metric tonnes that can be sold, then why did ECL give a directive to stop sales of Maize to Zimbabwe when business men there were crying foul as they had already paid for the Maize. Lubinda has become so desperate that he has lost his integrity – shame
HH knows only too well that should he beaten to State House this time around, he will be booted out as head honcho of UPND. He will stop at nothing to cause despondency among the populace to his selfish advantage. Shame on him!
Disgusted so you think with all these problems punching us left right and center, people are going to forget what happened ignore reality and vote for Lungu. Problems caused people to vote for PF and the same problems will force Them to vote for someone else. Lungu is not doing much to fix the problems. Instead he and his ministers have resorted to lying. The bad thing about lies they don’t stand the taste of time
@Zakeyo: Did he also reconcile with Former and late Vice President George Kunda whom he tormented so much to the extend of spreading rumours that he has died when the man was still alive? I must have missed these reconciliation stunts from Sata.