State capture in fertilizer scandal

By NATION REPORTER

THE company set to be single-sourced to procure, supply and deliver D-Compound fertilizer failed to provide the commodity and was instead forced to buy last year from local market, and re-bag the input for distribution to farmers, highly placed and credible market sources have revealed.

The same preferred company, the sources said had delivered and distributed substandard fertilizer to unsuspecting farmers in Northern Province, whose maize crop has since been destroyed.

Part of the fertilizer was reportedly sourced from Tanzania, the sources said.

And now, Mulenga Fube, the Patriotic Front (PF) Chilubi Member of Parliament says revelations that high-ranking government officials have advanced plans to single-source the same company that failed to meet contractual obligations was confirmation that the UPND administration has been state captured.

Mr Fube has charged that attempts by high-ranking government officials to single-source a newly established fertilizer company to supply and deliver fertilizer without a track record amounts, not only to grand corruption, but is also a form of State capture.

State capture is the type of systemic political corruption in which private interests or non-state actors significantly influence State’s decision-making processes to their advantage and in many countries, it has led to the disgraceful collapse of governments.

“The fertilizer company that we are talking about damaged our farmers’ crops because the fertilizer they supplied was fake. This company has failed the credibility test. Let government take stock of what happened in the 2022/2023 farming season. Let us have an open tender where all the players will have the opportunity to participate. Single-sourcing is nothing but grand corruption,” Mr Fube said.

Mr Fube has advised those involved in the scheme of single-sourcing a newly formed and nondescript fertilizer company to immediately abort the agenda because Zambians shall not allow the scandal to pass without demanding accountability from those involved.

He disclosed that the named company had been sourcing D-Compound fertilizer from local black market and from across some neighbouring country which it has been supplying to the Zambian government through the Farmer Input Support Profgramme.

Mr Fube says what was happening in the procurement of D-Compound fertilizer was nothing short of state capture anchored in what he termed grand corruption.

Mr Fube said he was aware instruction from the powers that be that a foreign fertilizer company which was established soon after the UPND formed government should be single-sourced for the supply, delivery and distribution of D-Compound fertilizer.

He said the named fertilizer company had allegedly corrupted the highest systems in the country and was now influencing decision-making by the state from which it had gained the advantage of being considered as the sole fertilizer supplier to government through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Yesterday, the Daily Nation exposed a plot in which high-ranking government officials are reported to have advanced preparations for a public tender for the supply and delivery of D-Compound fertilser which was to be awarded to newly formed fertilizer company. 

“The revelations that a unilateral tender award to newly formed foreign fertilizer company without any track record is expected is a confirmation that the UPND government has been state-captured. This is pure state capture anchored on grant corruption and as Zambians, we shall not allow this scandal pass without calling out the perpetrators. We shall demand accountability from all those involved in this mega scandal because we cannot allow a foreign company take control of state decision-making,” Mr Fube said.

And Mr Fube has revealed that named company that is expected to be single-sourced was the one that had allegedly delivered fake fertilizer in some parts of the Northern Province that included Chilubi district.