Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela has warned of an impending national food deficit if the prevailing maize and mealie meal smuggling to neighbouring countries is left unchecked.
And Chililabombwe Mayor Christabel Mulala has called for reinforcement of Police patrol vehicles in the district to effectively curb smuggling which is as a result of the porous nature of the vast border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting held at the Chililabombwe Municipal Council chamber, Rev Sikwela said the rampant smuggling being experienced is negatively affecting the country’s revenue base as the perpetrators of the vice were using undesignated routes.
Rev Sikwela said high ranking government offices among them the office of the Vice President and the Secretary to the Treasury have expressed concern regarding the prevailing high levels of smuggling in Chililabombwe hence the need for a lasting solution to the impasse.
He also expressed concern at the high number of mealie meal laden trucks entering the district on a daily basis as they surpassed the expected consumption levels of the population of Chililabombwe which is approximated at 92 000 people.
“As you can see, the rains have delayed hence the need not to take things for granted. Our national food security is threatened and the country is at a loss as no revenue is generated from the smuggled consignment owing to the use of undesignated routes,” he said.
Rev Sikwela called for concerted efforts among various stakeholders tasked with responsibilities to fight smuggling among them the district task force, the District Joint Operations Committee (DJOC), the relevant government leaders ranging from national and provincial to district levels as well as the traders based at Kasumbalesa Border Post.
Ms Mulala said smuggling had proved difficult to control as the perpetrators were highly networked and able to evade security forces hence the need to enhance patrols by providing more vehicles to ensure mobility.
The Mayor said the police only had one utility vehicle yet smugglers were using various undesignated entry points into the DRC such as the Kawama route, the closed Chintsenda border post as well as the Konkola township and Miteta routes.
Recently, the entourage of Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo and Rev Sikwela were ambushed and pelted with assorted missiles by unknown people in Chililabombwe’s Kawama area as they conducted a night patrol to check on the levels of smuggling.
The situation was controlled as the government officials were accompanied by police officers who fired warning shots to scare their assailants.
It’s not only Mwenya Musenge of PF chief smuggler on copper belt, go to Eastern province if you will find Folly Tembo of PF around, they are smuggling from east to North, except south.
Dununa! The country has not boss…. This Confusion…
So the boss you wanted was HH?
Just grow enough maize and feed the whole region.
We have strategic advantage and abundant human and land resources to be a regional grower of all cash crops.
What is so damaging is that the politicians are too dumb to seize on this golden opportunity.
The smuggling is being done by very high ranking PF officials including ministers with Edgar Lungu’s blessings. Edgar himself has been smuggling maize to malawi and Mozambique from eastern province. Lusambo just used that tour as a smoke screen, paid a few street boys to throw stones at them so he could claim that they were attacked. A government of thieves. Dununa reverse for real.
Any proof to your allegations?
A clear case of leadership failure.What can Edgar succeed in?Even the sontapo projects are the cause for our problems.5 more years of incompetence
Comment:The pf buggers are the only culprits here. They are thieves, crooks and swindlers at breakfast lunch and supper. How did zambian get it wrong? Again because most of them are headless donkeys. How pathetic!!!
Comment:let us take advantage of market , we need to produce more food,
This worries me.
The levels of lawlessness in our country,l.
I know you will agree with me that, These Noar buses that are contravening in all towns are owned either by the police officers or P.F cadres.
Illegal Land allocation, Smuggling maize or meal Mill.
Check every sector you will agree that Lawlessness has taken over everything.
Story but face the truth.
Dununa iwe Dununa reverse.
Comment:Let the Govt.realized that agriculture is the only way forward for Zambia’s survival. Yes we have the advantage to make real money through selling of maize to Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, DRC up to Kenya.
Comment:this means that, government should learn to pay farmers on time
Comment:what are you complaining the ruling party sotapo continue using the sloungan DUNUNA reverse, we don’t complain here dundumwezi alots food come we give you complainant
Solution: (i) revise the growing of maize by ZNS; (ii) let them recruit army of school leavers to work there; (iii) export all their produce and then pay back the investment; by next year it will be self-sustaining and will reduce unemployment.
revive i meant to say.
Comment:We should just turn this challenge into an opportunity! How come it has become rampant now?? Why not in the previous regime. Something is certainly wrong now and it should be investigated and sorted out fairly and squarely!
Just shows how cheap food is in Zambia. As a small scale farmer I toil almost for nothing. There’s no profit in maize hence that smuggling in order to realize something from the toils that we endure. Consumers will complain of the high cost but what about me?
Comment:All these chaps accusing the government & pf as a party of this & that, do not seem to have empirical evidence as to what they are claiming.We need proof of their allegations rather than mere speculation, grow up pipo! The reason y this is rampant now is that business men have a seen a loophole & since their appetite for money is unquenchable, they’re on the loose.Cant u see mansions everywhere, big cars & men becoming blessers,where do u think the money comes from?
It is suprising that mr sikwela has no yet knwn the reasons why business men en many of our suffering farmers are smugling this commodit(maize). lets open yo mind sir with this answer please give our people a well paying market for theire produces especially the market for maize yo gvt faild to buy there maize wht should they do when they are preparing to produce for the next seazon they have to smugal, yo gvt comes in to purchase maizse frm our farmer with rubish prices tht does no pay back in equivalence to the cost of farming imputs so stop pretending of getin supprised coz your suprise does no solve anything may be shuting up will be best. This ending season we were lied to by yo gvt that they re purchasing 500 mt of maize but to our suprise only 250 was acquired where do u think they…