WHY IS GOVERNMENT WASTING PUBLIC MONEY BUYING A NON VIABLE FARM FROM ZAMBEEF AT $13.5M ?
MBS10.08.2024
Woke up to surprising news that the Government bought (transactions already concluded) from Zambeef PLC a farm based in Chiawa at a Colosal sum of $13.5M.
Apparently, so that government can (via the ZNS) start to farm Maize. Since when in the World did government start becoming the farmer itself? Has Zambia not been through this route before under KK’s UNIP era in pre 1991? There was a farm in each province if not district, to cultivate and rear animals for the population. Namboard was to market the produce, but all failed and all projects went bankrupt. Why are we going that route again?
Other than banana farms, I have never heard of another crop successfully grown on a commercial basis in Chiawa by any farmer.The soils and hot weather conditions in that Chirundu terrain maybe a big factor.
The Constitution of Zambia under Article 210(1) demands that government acquisition of assets ought to be done in a transparent and cost effective manner. Other than seller, land size and price, there is no other details availed for this transaction. Was there another farm seller or it’s just Zambeef from the blues? What is the expected EBITDA or IRR for this investment ?
Who handled this transaction and what’s their Commision if any? What were the terms of payment, cash or credit terms etc etc.
Then Government becoming a Farmer itself is also going to crowd out the private sector that is into agriculture. Should Government’s roles not start and end at creating an enabling environment for subsistence small scale and commercial farmers so that they produce surplus maize for domestic consumption and for export purposes?
Where has government that is broke found the $13.5M to buy the Chiawa farm? It surely was not in the 2024 Budget and not even in the supplementary Budget approved by Parliament a few weeks ago. Is NAPSA’s money for pensioners being used again and won’t NAPSA go burst given they’re funding every investment from the Ndola Lusaka road to KCM?
I challenge government to state how they hope to make the Chiawa farm viable when Zambeef itself who are seasoned agriculture experts failed to make the farm viable. Then we have drought and the Kafue and Zambezi rivers are at their lowest. So how will irrigation at this farm happen to risk a loss of the $13.5M pensioners or tax payers money?
I know the British investment arm CDC has shares in Zambeef,are they the ones we are trying to impress or redeem out of their loss making Chiawa farm? Otherwise I am at pain to understand how or where descendants of the Queen (expatriate farmers) have failed, us muntus (ZNS) with zero farming success story will manage to efficiently grow the maize and recover the $13.5M public funds that have been thrown there. Who is eating what in this transaction because it makes no farming or economic sense. Let’s however not forget that nothing remains a secret forever. This transaction will sooner than later come to haunt all involved and brokering this bad investment.
Then there is the question of whether vested interests in this transaction have been declared especially from known persons around top government circles who have links directly or indirectly to Zambeef and its main shareholders CDC.
There is surely more questions than answers in this exorbitant farm purchased by a government said to be capitalism themed but yet operating like they are a socialist or communist regime where owning and operating farms is possible.
By Miles B. Sampa, MP
Patriotic Front-President
As tax payer this pains to the core. Aba bagalu ba bantu paying themselves in millions of dollars whilst the poor majority in western Province are going a day without a meal. What a shame!
Don’t be too quick to condemn because tomorrow when the project succeeds, you will have nothing to say. If you know Chirundu very well, on the other side of the District, we have a success story of Lusitu irrigation Scheme, in Sinazongwe, we have Malima. So I don’t see any reason why Chiawa farm project should fail. Hot weather is not a factor, Lusitu for example has been there since the 1970s. Middle East countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are in the desert and much hotter than Chirundu, but they grow more food than us. If you know nothing about farming, it’s better you sit and watch how your friends do it.
But why buying that land yet zns has plenty of land l in various district here in zambia,this purely a scandal of the year znsgate2024
If it’s true we need an explanation from the Government.
Waiting for more lies from kawana.
Miles Bwalya Sampa can do better than this. He’s a Member of Parliament and should diarise this matter and file a question when Parliament starts sitting again. Zambeef has dumped a palm oil farm in Mpika district on the IDC at approximately 16 million US dollars. This happened under the PF administration. A comment from MBS would be appreciated.
The issue for me is where has this money come from?
Ati very hot region bwa bwa bwa , like you talking sense. Ok if it’s like that, the coldest and moist region in Zambia is your own Northen region – you have rain through out the year there almost. Yet why are you not and have never grown a single seed there? Even cows they can grow more healthy and big there but why do you travel all the way to the very hot Namwala just to buy a simple goat?
To add on , Southern Province has always been the hottest region in Zambia yet why is it that they been feeding the while Zambia since for ever? If your wetting dream Miles Sampa was true? You are not a farmer and stick to your street corner business sir.