Friday, March 29, 2024

Four people arrested for smuggling mealie meal to DRC

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POLICE have intercepted a truck carrying more than 800 bags of mealie meal destined for neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Both Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo and police commission Charity Katanga confirmed the development in seperate interviews.

Ms Katanga said there has been alot of incidences of smuggling in the province with the perpetrators now using other routes other than Kasumbalesa border where the issue of smuggling is rampant.

She said the smugglers have devised new routes at Sakania border, Mufulira, and Maria Chimona where the Volvo truck registration number  ABF 954 belonging to a Somali national was intercepted.

Ms Katanga said five people were apprehended in connection with the smuggling of mealie meal and the driver has since been released while four are still in police custody.

She named the suspects as Evans Kaku, 50,  of Kenya compound in Lubumbashi DRC,a Congolese national, Isaac Phiri, 25, of house C 105 in Chililabombwe, Mutambala Dick Kaunda, 53, of house no 450/6 old Kanyama in Lusaka and Anthony John, 36, of Ndeke Compund in Ndola a Swati national.

“This issue of smuggling is becoming an issue. Last week police impounded 500 bags of mealie meal after a truck was abandoned in the same area, Maria chimona. Ndola has a lot of inlets and outlets into DRC. There is Lonshi mine under Chief Chiwala which is quite wide, Sakania border ,palm groove,21 and 14 miles and seven miles and Mulundu area also are leading to DRC,” she said.

Ms Katanga said the 500 bags  were disposed off by the court and further warned people involved in smuggling that police are on high alert to ensure perpetrators are brought to book.

And Mr Lusambo said if not quickly addressed the rampant smuggling of mealie meal to neighbouring countries could affect food security in the country.

19 COMMENTS

    • Ours is one of the laziest governments in the world……..it lacks vision. To take advantage of the demand for maize in the region, the government could have constituted a task force to maximize the use of ZNS and prisoners in the cultivation of maize for feeding the nation whilst allowing the private sector to export maize so that the country earns forex. Kuwayawayafye!

    • Ni mealie meal ya anyoko? If there are no taxes to be paid before exporting, how can such sale be smuggling? Grow your own maize instead of squeezing bakachema, imwe bamambala.

    • Where is Swati country? Sounds like Interpol case. Too many countries; Malawi, Swaziland, Congo, Somalia, Zambia.
      Kapyongo need step up game, why allow Lusambo to be commenting on arrests?

    • Police only selectively make arrests, they are right in the middle of smuggling taking bribes. And those borders employees are the richest people in Zambia! Don’t be hoodwinked!

  1. Free market, you sell where you make the most profit. I don’t even know why it should be called smuggling. You don’t impose a ban, you just put up measures to produce more for both the local and international markets and bring in foreign exchange. I don’t understand why African governments never have foresight. What you are calling smuggling is a big opportunity for the country if you are serious.

    • “What you are calling smuggling is a big opportunity for the country if you are serious.”

      Brilliant Chabala! There is serious Forex right there!

    • Depending on if the people involved had valid trading licenses an opportunity on free market is being curtailed robbing gains on foreign exchange and a market where demand is high ready to pay ruling prices!

      It can also be argued that the ban as is always quoted has referred to maize grain exports and not the finished product i.e. mealie meal unless the ban on maize also infers mealie meal.

    • No wonder DRC is full of South African produce, instead of Zambian. This is the same nonsense the Zimbos were doing in the 1990s when their economy was strong by limiting even how many loaves of bread Zambians could buy from Vic Falls and Kariba. The Congolese will have the last laugh against Zambians when Lungu collapses the economy and we have to sell sweets on the streets of Lubumbashi to survive.

    • Millers were at state house, agreed that maize meal is not export commodity, just like dog meat to China.
      But there we go, you guys supporting export of illegal substances.

  2. Meanwhile the real criminals I.e lungu and friends who are behind the Malawi maize gate scandal are freely walking the streets of our country. Zambia yasila. Lungu must go bane.

  3. By the way have the pf ministers paid back the salaries they were drawing when their dull president thought they were legally entitled to a salary for doing nothing? Any pf rats to answer me ??

  4. I agree 100% with you chabala.Instead of taking advantage of this geographic position, and allow citizens to trade and make ends meet,busy harrasing them.I don’t understand these African leaders as well.

  5. Comment:Zambia is dead.we use opportunities when time is granted.those guys are selling mealie meal where it is conducive for them.We all go for more profit..

  6. I ALWAYS SAY THIS, IN ONE WAY OR OTHER: SMUGGLING OF MAIZE MEAL (OR CORN MEAL) IS A SURE SIGN OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (WHICH EXISTS) OR WICH HAS BEEN EXISTING SINCE THE UNIP GOVT UNTIL NOW. REALLY, CAN’T OUR GOVERNMENTS SEE THIS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, “ON THE SILVER PLATTER”, OPPORTUNITY? IT IS VERY SHOCKING THAT NO GOVERNMENT HAS SEEN THIS AS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPORT. WHAT ANY CLEVER GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE DONE IS CONSTRUCT STATE-OF-THE-ART MILLING PLANTS IN MANSA, CHINGOLA, CHIPATA, MPULUNGU AND SIAVONGA TO PROCESS ANY GRAIN (MAIZE, RICE, WHEAT, MILLETS ETC, INCLUDING CASSAVA JUST FOR EXPORT TO MALAWI, DR CONGO, ZIMBABWE, BURUNDI, RWANDA (AND TANZANIA). THAT WOULD BE THE END OF SMUGGLING AND, “IN LEGITIMATE EXPORT OF PROCESSED CEREAL GRAINS AND UNPRECEDENTED FARMING…

  7. THAT WOULD BE THE END OF SMUGGLING AND, “IN LEGITIMATE EXPORT OF PROCESSED CEREAL GRAINS AND UNPRECEDENTED FARMING ACTIVITIES IN THOSE AREAS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ZAMBIANS KANSHI? VERY SOON SOUTH AFRICA WILL START PRODUCING PARTICULARLY TO FEED DR CONGO USING ZAMBIA’S ROADS TO EXPORT TO CONGO- WAIT!

  8. Why cant u issue permit export to citezens so thy can bring forex in zambian.grab that opportunity. And stop alarming people are doing smagoling. Contrary some of the immigrations and customs officers are making more money.

  9. Permits are being issued, which are unnecessary in the first place. But you know they are issuing them to their own companies. The issue is to pump sense into these guys, that there is no smuggling but international trade which we badly need. If this international trade is causing a price hike of mealie meal locally, they must find a solution and not choke trade.

  10. There is something wrong with Zambia today. Let us speak real issues about ourselves. For once, I like this debate including that from NEZ having regulated his/her comments. I was 8 years 27years ago when I leant the word smuggling on a news item related to mealie meal to Congo at the time Zaire. 27 years latter, we have not turned this opportunity to benefit us. We have continued to arrest, jail and intimidate Zambians who see business opportunity in Congo!!!. I challenge the PF Government to help turn this seemingly misfortune into a fortune!

    Many of you may have seen a clip where ECL was enjoying mangoes on the street and asking one on his entourage why we were not turning all the mangoes rotting into juice and yet we are a major importer of juice from South Africa where they…

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