The Government has threaten to withdraw trading licences from traders dragging their feet’s in reducing the price of mealie meal prices following a meeting held between the President Michael Sata and millers.

Central Province minister Philip Kosamu said the government would be forced to direct the council to revoke licences if millers fail to reduce the price of mealie meal of a 25 kilogrammes by today.

This follows an emergency meeting held between President Sata and members of the Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) to halt escalating prices of the staple food.

After the State House meeting on Monday, MAZ agreed to peg the wholesale price of a 25kilogramme bag of breakfast mealie- meal at KR47 (K47, 000) and KR50 (K50, 000) for retail.

Similarly, a 25kilogramme bag of roller meal will now cost KR35 (K35, 000) wholesale price, while the retail price is now KR38 (K38, 000).

But Mr Kosamu who was accompanied by Central Permanent Secretary Annie Sinyangwe who conducted an impromptu tour was sadden that some millers were still reluctant to reduce the price despite the presidential directive.

He said that the government would not sit back and watch miller deliberately exploit Zambians.
The Minister took to task a senior manager at Simba Milling company who expressed ignorance over the meeting but referred queries to her overall boss.

The company however, said it was unable to reduce the price due to transportation cost and the 25 kg was selling at KR52 retail price for breakfast while roller was going for KR48.

The minister and permanent secretary toured National Milling , Glance milling and C.K Milling who had complied with the directive while at AV-Milling the manager said there only sold few bags but halted the sale in readiness to start selling at the newly recommended price.

And Mrs Sinyangwe said the government was committed to working with millers because there were partners in development .

She said millers should not wait to be directed provided there are following the law and that the government has an open door policy of ensuring fair trade for both buyers and traders.

And a survey within city centre and banker shopping centre found some traders are still selling the 25kg at KR56 and KR58kg selling the new prices would only be effected once the old stocks runs out while at Shoprite Superior milling was going at KR5548 and Antelope KR5448.

Before proceeding for the closed-door meeting with the millers, President Sata said he would not allow mealie-meal prices to remain high as this could degenerate into food riots which were experienced in UNIP’s reign in 1986 and 1990.

The Patriotic Front (PF) Government would not allow exploitation of Zambians by the millers as this could spark riots.

The Government Joint Investigations Team has today arrested and charged Dr Nevers Sekwila Mumba, former Zambian High Commissioner to Canada.

Dr. Mumba has been arrested for willful failure to comply with applicable procedure relating to management of public funds Contrary to Section 33 (2b) of the repealed Anti-Corruption Act No. 38 of 2010. And three counts of Abuse of Authority of Office Contrary to Section 99(1) of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia

Particulars of the offence are that Dr. Mumba on dates unknown but between the 1st day of June, 2011 and the 31st day of December, 2011 at the Zambian High Commission in Canada, being a person whose functions concerned the use of public revenue, willfully failed to comply with laid down procedures in receiving and disbursing of Canadian Dollar CAD$ 122,229.85 a donation to the Zambian Government by a Private Company called BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION.

Furthermore Dr. Mumba on dates unknown but between 1st day of October, 2009 and the 31st day of December, 2010 being a person employed in the public service did abuse his authority of office by awarding contracts valued at, (Canadian Dollar) CAD$ 9000, CAD$19850, CAD$5,248 for electrical works, carpeting and construction for a deck at the Zambian High Commission residence in Canada to three Canadian private companies called RESTCON CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, ARGOS CARPET LTD and STANMARK CONSTRUCTION respectively without following laid down procedure.

Dr Mumba has been remanded in police custody and expected to appear in Court tomorrow.

Major retail outlets in Livingstone today ran out of breakfast meal after residents bought the commodity massively following the reductions in prices.

Both Livingstone Shoprite town centre outlet and Shoprite Mosi-oa-tunya Square outlet did not have breakfast meal by midday today but they had few bags of roller meal.

Spar Livingstone only had six bags of breakfast meal and few roller bags by midday as residents continued buying the commodity in large quantities.

National Milling Corporation (NMC)’s 25 kg bag of breakfast meal, which previously fetched the prices of around K59, 000 or KR 59 in Shoprite, is today being sold around K50, 000 or KR 50.

At Livingstone Spar, NMC’s 25 kg bag of breakfast meal is also being sold at K50, 000 or KR 50.

At Dambwa Central Market, a 25 kg bag of breakfast meal is also sold at K55, 000 or KR 54 while a 25 kg bag of roller meal is being sold at K40, 000 or KR40.

On Monday, President Michael Sata directed millers to reduce mealie meal prices.

Soon after President Sata’s directive, Southern Province Minister Josephine Limata visited Maramba Market and NMC depots and urged traders as well as the milling firm to reduce its prices in line with Government policy.

During her tour, some traders told Ms Limata that NMC officials were also selling mealie meal at the market and hence disadvantaging traders.

“It is unfortunate that some officials at National Milling are selling mealie meal inside markets and competing with our people.

Them they are eating with both hands by selling the commodity at wholesale price and also selling inside the markets and hence killing our Zambian people,” Ms Limata said.