PF MAIZE  SMUGGLERS 

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 10:19:38 +0000

… as six trucks laden with  4000 bags of mealie meal are impounded

By JACK MAPAPAYI 

SOME PF officials in Mushindamo district in North-Western Province have been named in a serious maize smuggling scam and the local administration has expressed deep displeasure over the matter.

Mushindamo district commissioner Benson Ngambo who confirmed the involvement of PF party officials in the smuggling of maize into neighbouring DR Congo said he was deeply saddened with the turn of events.

And in a related development six trucks laden with over 4,000 bags of mealie meal with no valid documents and belonging to a named PF official have been impounded by Zambia National Service (ZNS) officers at Kalindi check point.

The impounded trucks are currently parked  at the same check point- all Scania models with registration numbers ACL 3148, ACH 1084, ABC 8747, ALP 5433, ALZ 877 and ABD 8747  which were believed  to have been hired from various transporters in  Solwezi.

Mr Ngambo said when he tried to get to the bottom of the matter, he started receiving threats from the party officials involved in the scourge.

He vowed, however, that he would not be intimidated by  party officials because of their positions, and that the district administration would not relent until the vice was brought to an end.

“I want to state categorically here that I don’t report to the party, I report to the permanent secretary and President Lungu. If anything the party was supposed to be in forefront helping to curb the vice,” he said.

Mr Ngambo has since written to the office of the provincial minister complaining about the threats he has been receiving from some party officials.

According to maize grain and mealie meal movement permits obtained by the Daily Nation, some officials from the Ministry of Agriculture signed the documents on behalf of the district commissioner by falsely claiming that he was out of station.

Mr Ngambo said that despite the introduction of the anti-smuggling crack squad to bring to an end the smuggling of maize and maize products into the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the vice had continued with the participation of ome senior government and ruling Patriotic Front (PF) officials.