ZUPED SHOCKED!
…..that thieves broke into a ZNS warehouse and stole over 200 by 25kg bags of mealie meal meant for exports
Lusaka… Tuesday February 20, 2024 (SMART EAGLES)
The Zambians for Unity Peace and Development (ZUPED) has expressed shock that thieves broke into a Zambia National Service (ZNS) Warehouse in Kasumbalesa and stole over 200 bags of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) mealie meal meant for exports.
The Zambia National Service has disclosed that thieves last night broke into one of its warehouses at Kasumbalesa Border which house imported Eagles mealie meal meant for export to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and made away with about 212 by 25 kilograms of mealie meal estimated at more than K68, 000.00.
ZUPED President Ronnie Jere has told Smart Eagles in a telephone interview that President Hakainde Hichilema together with Ministers of Defense and Agriculture should come out and assure the people of Zambia that the mealie meal they are consuming in chain stores is not GMO mealie meal.
Mr Jere said government at this point should also come out clearly as to why they are using ZNS to procure GMO mealie meal from South Africa and exporting to other countries.
Mr Jere stated that it is also important that government comes out clean and inform the nation how that money is being accounted for.
“Secondly, how do we know that the ZNS mealie meal that is being sold in chain stores like ShopRite, Pick N Pay etc is not GMO mealie meal? Because it has been reviewed that ZNS has been importing mealie meal from South Africa into Zambia and exported to neighboring countries. We call upon the Head of State together with Ministers of Defense and Agriculture to clearly assure the Zambians that the mealie meal they are consuming is not GMO mealie meal,” he said.
“And how does 212 by 25kg bags of mealie meal disappear from an institution that has been charged to safeguard the country? For example, ZNS is charged with the responsibility of curbing illegal exports of mealie meal. How safe are we if it can be that porous to a extent of thieves breaking into a warehouse and steal that huge number of bags of mealie meal?”
The ZUPED President said this is embarrassing and hoped that this would be corrected.
“We need to be serious as a country. Government should be serious and should come out clearly to tell us what is happening to ZNS. Let us not use security wings such as ZNS to begin to conduct illegal things. We are destroying the fiber of our country,” he added.
“We depend on ZNS, ZAF, Police, Army and other institutions to safeguard the interests of the people. Now if they are seen to be put in forefront to import GMO mealie meal into Zambia destined for other countries which I believe that we don’t consume GMO products in the country, what do they expect us to believe?”
He hoped that the stolen GMO mealie meal will not find its way on the Zambian market where local people will start consuming it.
When we call for accountability. Here is a perfect reason to call for it.
An arm of the defence gets robbed and we are supposed to believe it happened and nothing is wrong?
There was negiligence and dereliction of duty. All centries on duty should be fired and imprisoned if the were co conspirtors in the act of the theft. Period, we keep moving people around and dont deal with them, and hope the problem will go away?
Some pipo from zns should have been fired for not putting in place proper security to guard their premises. But in zambia what we all accept is mediocrity.