(2 minutes read)
· In a shocking incident, it is revealed that some miscreants
are indulged in smuggling of government’s subsidized grain into the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
· The trucks which carry copper from DRC and Zambia to South
Africa go back to DRC empty. While on its way back, maize will be
packed at the border of Zimbabwe. The truck drivers declare them as
maize loaded from South Africa
Zimbabwe is caught in a tailspin. This time around, it is not
something that has been inflicted from outside but creations of people
within only. In a shocking incident, it is revealed that some
miscreants are indulged in smuggling of government’s subsidized grain
into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These organized cartels
of local milling industry have been doing this for quite some time.
This was revealed at a hearing of Justice-Mayor Wadyajena chaired
Parliamentary committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and
Rural Resettlement rfecently. This rampant corrupt practice of the
cartels were raised by the millers and explained how it affecting
the common man apart from breeding corruption.
A representative of the United Milling- Davis Muhambi -while giving
oral evidence described how subsidized grain meant to cushion the
vulnerable people was being siphoned out of the country and some
being used by processors for various other foodstuffs derived from
maize. The modus operandi is that the subsidized maize is sold to
large millers who in turn use maize for making stock feeds, porridge
etc. Then they clandestinely take it to DRC and seel at a premium.
This subsidized maize is cheaper, when it is smuggled out from the
country in the variants of maize as processed food, it becomes costly.
That way the smugglers make a killing at the cost of poor people.
The trucks which carry copper from DRC and Zambia to South Africa go
back to DRC empty. While on its way back, maize will be packed at the
border of Zimbabwe. The truck drivers declare them as maize loaded
from South Africa, whereas the stuff packed is the government
subsidized maize and maize products from Zimbabwe. All these are
happening at a time the people are finding difficulty in meeting the
huge demand for maize, a staple food ofFr the region.
