We don’t have capacity to store maize for 3yrs – Nalumango
By Margaret Malenga
ZAMBIA today doesn’t have capacity to store maize even for two to three years so where did you store, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango has asked Shiwang’andu PF member of parliament Stephen Kampyongo.
During the Vice-President’s Question Time in parliament on Friday, Kampyongo asked Vice-President Nalumango if it was wise for the new dawn administration to sell all the maize reserves they found, which has resulted in the current food deficit.
“Your honour the Vice-President, do you still think it was wise for the two colleagues to deplete the maize stocks which they inherited by exporting the subsidised maize from our farmers when we didn’t know how the weather patterns were going to unfold? Madam Speaker, on the floor of this august House we lamented, we advised government, Your honour the Vice-President not to entertain the thought of exporting the maize stocks which were in storage for a period of about three years because of the partial drought that we had experienced in the past,” said Kampyongo. “We certainly agree with the President that indeed hunger can be biblical. But, your honour the Vice-President, we were assured by our colleagues in the Ministry of Agriculture and [Ministry of] Commerce, [Trade and Industry] that we were food secure. And the challenges we are going through now could have been avoided if indeed this House performed its role of ensuring that people’s food security is guaranteed. We don’t even know where you are going to get grain to distribute under the Disaster Management [and Mitigation Unit].”
In her response, Vice-President Nalumango counter questioned Kampyongo where the maize he referred to was, arguing that Zambia does not have the capacity to store that much.
“… Number one, you have said ‘this government sold maize in stock’. I think that is the first point the honourable member made. You don’t call something yours when you have not paid for it. That is true, honourable members here this is honourable member that was once a minister knows that you speak from what you know. If the honourable knows something else, maybe you need to bring out that. What I know is that when we came in, Madam, there was maize that was never paid for and the farmers were complaining even through members of this august House. So how do you call that maize yours? You were storing other people’s maize and therefore this government which found no money in the coffers had no option,” Vice-President Nalumango explained. “Honourble member, this is on record as far as I am informed, that the maize that we had stored had not been paid for and there was therefore need to pay. We were not going to punish our peasant farmers without paying them so the sale was not out of being deliberate and not wanting to acquire money but because the farmers had not been paid. What else could we have done? That three years there was no, as far as I know, there was no maize stored which could have lasted for three years. That is true colleagues and you don’t even have the storage in the first place. This is reality. And that is why if you look at our resilience in terms of the drought response, we have had to put in an amount to be able to construct storage, warehouses. Zambia today doesn’t have capacity to store maize even for two-three years. So where did you store? This is reality colleagues. If you were not aware, find out. Now if we don’t have, where did we store the maize for three years? This is what I know. Any other information would be made available.”
She challenged Kampyongo to state where the maize reserves he referred to were since the country had no capacity.
Vice-President Nalumango said the government needed the wisdom of Joseph in the Bible who presided over a seven-year famine in Egypt and managed to provide sufficient food until it rained again.
“These people have hammers, Madam. I don’t have hammers to hammer people. I give them what I know as facts. If my facts are felt they are not truth, people can come and say this is exactly what we know. Tell us where this maize was sitting which was going to be for three years because as far as we know we have realised, in fact as the entire SADC, I can speak for SADC that we don’t have storage for so many years. It can be a crisis,” she said. “In case God gives us rain, which He will because He is faithful, and we grow, we must find space to store for enough time. Enough years so that when we have a situation like we do now at least there would be enough that we would have stored. We need the wisdom of Joseph here. Let us look at that.”
Vice-President Nalumango added that the government is working on finding enough resources to construct storage sheds to store maize grain for longer periods.
“So the issue that the minister said, we were food secure, colleagues like I said in the begging all things being equal, the way we plan every year; remember we always have what we keep aside as strategic plan which is normally 500,000 metric tonnes and that is what we do. We offload, we put new stock all the time so that we are prepared. But we have never prepared for another full year and up to now we are still eating. What are we eating? It is not the new maize – that means there was enough plan to have enough stock for this time,” explained Vice-President Nalumango. “By now we should be harvesting and we should be restocking, unfortunately the drought has come. So to say was it wise, for the moment, because we don’t have the wisdom of God who knows yesterday, today and forever. From what we knew, this was wisdom so that we can continue to have enough food for the people and stock. But we are working on finding enough resource to construct storage so that when we have food we can store for a little longer than just demands.”
Nalumango, that was a bad decision. Government has means of generating funds. It did not make sense to sell the strategic maize reserves and pay farmers when you were able to ask ZRA to raise the necessary funds. You are in denial due to bad decisions.
Musonda read the article. Retorive responses without introspective and a moment to listen, think and respond is irrational and immature sir.
Zambia does not have the storage capacity and to top it off. The maize was unpaid for. If you even bother to read and follow issues. Maize in a Kalomo shed was spoilt under Chola Kafwabulula. That is what led to management changes at FRA. The PF appointee was still left at the helm as Board Chair.
There was dereliction of duty at FRA let alone payments were not being made. Remember the Katambo saga where as Minister he was involved in the Purchase of Maize? You dont stop to ask yourselves about those purchases while farmers were unpaid. Remember the maize exports while there was a ban? You dont ask about such improprieties. Instead you disparage a rational response to an irrational question that Kampyongo makes ” stir the pot”
Lastly, I have observed your comments and wonder where you base some of the assertions that you make.
And I quote”Government has means of generating funds” please enlight us. What are some of those means that government can use to generate funds?
You suggest “ask ZRAto raise the necessary funds”. Bwana do you understand how ZRA works or what ZRA is?
That money ZRA collects is from levies, duty, and taxes. Who do they collect from? What is the effect of an increase in those collection rates?
For your information, the tax base in Zambia is very narrow. Meaning taxes are mostly collected from people in the formal sector and most Zambians not in the formal sector dont pay taxes. Efforts have been made to expand this, and attempts are still being done to rationalise this. For year, local government was not doing so, why cause we allowed cadres line their pockets instead of the money going to ZRA as you suggest. Yes, the system had broken down so much that even what you suggest was not being done cause of the very people that you laud everyday with your collegues Mandanda, Indigo et al.
Appreciate the gravity and the manner systems work in the running of country, instead of making “off the cuff” remarks. Raise the money from ZRA. Look at what is happening in Kenya when Government raises taxes? What you see is an effect of trying to shock the system into “kick starting” concepts that are alien to the population. Already you whine about the removal of fuel subsidy. Lets try doing a bit of research bane before we insult and bad mouth.
Lets admit our failures and the facts. PF failed. They should be embarassed to even suggest anything or be critical. And when they want to do so. Act like a carpenter, measure twice before you cut. Think twice before you open your mouths. Kampyongo has just embarassed himself here. He wanted to embarass government. Now who looks like a fool?
Yes, Kampyongo has been found telling lies. The so called opposition are very determined to create a false narrative and make people panic. That is shameless hooliganism, not leadership. Tell the truth – that maize belonged to the farners and PF failed to pay them. And there is no storage in Zambia to keep maize for 2 olo 3 years.
Best the opposition work together with ruling party to find solutions. Not busy pointing fingers like children.
Bwana we should keep reminding Kampyongo about this and maybe these childish antics that they want to “pull” in Parliament will stop.
We have an opposition that lacks seriousness on national issues and instead of raising real issues. They have turned Parliament into a circus while walking away with monies as graduities like they have served Zambians yet turning the House into a mockery.
You honour the Vice President you are correct.My request is you look at plight of retirees mainly those that were retired between 1998 and 2000.They are still waiting for their pension.As you do the mitigation of hunger in this drought we are experiencing.The aim of HIPIC was achieved but the retirees are still suffering.The aim was to reduced on the civil service wage bill by stream lining the work force.The European Union came with the plan to help highly indebted poor countries on this program and the retirees were to be paid handsomely so that they don’t become destitutes but the opposite is the case now.PF at one time paid 400 retirees but a lot more remained unpaid.UPND government also paid some but the number is still high so please speedup the payments to all the remaining retirees life is becoming difficult for them.We are getting into 25 years they are waiting.The best solution in this matter is to reinstate them and retire those that have attained 55 years and subtract what was paid initially and give them the rest as pension.Out fellow Zambians are being treated like second class citizens.I don’t blame the current government but it is an appeal for this long standing issue.