ZNS COMMANDER DISPELS GMO ACCESSIONS
The Zambia National Service Commander, Lieutenant General Maliti Solochi has dispelled accessions by a section of the Zambian public that the Service has been selling genetically modified mealie meal on the Zambia Market.
The ZNS Commander has since pledged his Institution’s readiness to allow Eagles mealie meal to be subjected to laboratory tests.
Lt Gen Solochi, who offered his Institution’s willingness to meet the cost of the procedure, challenged anyone wishing to undertake the test to pick the Eagles brand randomly from any shop or milling plant and engage any laboratory of their choice to test for any trace of GMO.
“Let anyone wishing to undertake the test feel free to pick the eagles brand in green labels randomly from any shop or any of our milling plants, including those we are collaborating with, and work with any laboratory of their choice to test for any presence of GMO. They should also involve the media to ensure the process is transparent,” the ZNS Commander Challenged.
He appealed to individuals running with the narrative to verify their information to avoid spreading falsehoods and develop a culture of telling the truth.
Lt Gen Solochi made the remarks on Friday in an interview with the media in Gwembe District after his appreciation tour of the recently launched ZNS Chipepo Fish Project on Lake Kariba Lagoon.
The ZNS Commander said ZNS is a responsible Institution that cannot arbitrarily engage itself in illegality as well as go against the dietary preference of the Zambian people.
“We are called the Zambia National Service because our mandate is to be of service to the nation regardless of their political inclination and therefore we will not be such careless as to go against the law of the land and preference of Zambians. We know that our people have elected not to take any GMO food and we will not betray their choice,” the ZNS Commander asserted.
The ZNS Commander said people should not confuse the ZNS Mealie meal meant for the Democratic Republic of Congo market with that which is milled by ZNS Milling Plants for local consumption.
He clarified that the import permit ZNS had been issued by the Government was to import already milled mealie meal from the Republic of South Africa specifically for export to the DRC and that a paper trail could easily confirm that the commodity entering the country through Kanzungula was same existing through Kasumbalesa into the neighbouring country.
The Service Chief also indicated that transportation of the export commodity was being done by a local transport company called Time Tracking Limited which could equally be privately contacted for further verification.
“The mealie meal which is being imported from South Africa is strictly for export and ZRA as well as Time Tracking Limited documentation can attest to the fact that the quantities entering the country through Kanzungula border are the same quantities being received at Kasumbalesa which we eventually get into the neighbouring country,” Lt Gen Solochi stressed.
“Besides, the brand for the export market is clearly labeled in black to distinguish it from the local one which is labeled in green colour.”
The ZNS Commander concluded by emphasizing that the Service was there to serve the Republic with diligence and would not wish to be drawn in political battles, adding that his institution is apolitical.