132 Tonnes of Rot: Commentators Say ADMARC Maize Scandal Is a Symptom of Deep Institutional Decay
Commentators are sounding the alarm after revelations that 132 tonnes of maize flour belonging to ADMARC rotted in warehouses in Liwonde and Blantyre—an episode they say lays bare a deeper crisis of mismanagement, neglect and moral failure at a time when Malawians are battling food insecurity.
According to inside sources, the maize flour deteriorated due to poor storage management, left unattended until it became unfit for public consumption.
Instead of being transparently destroyed or publicly accounted for, the spoiled flour was quietly moved to ADMARC depots and sold exclusively to staff at heavily reduced prices, under strict instructions that it should not be sold to outsiders. Commentators argue that this decision alone raises disturbing ethical and public health questions.
Sources further allege that the flour was infested with worms and mould, making it potentially dangerous. To critics, the idea that such food could be circulated—even internally—reflects a reckless disregard for human health. “Rot does not become safe because it is eaten by staff,” one commentator remarked privately. “It only becomes hidden.”
Social commentator Lucky Mbewe described the incident as “deeply unfortunate but entirely predictable,” arguing that it mirrors a long-standing culture of impunity within public institutions. He said the scandal should not end with statements and assurances, but with clear sanctions against those responsible. “Food rotting in ADMARC warehouses is not an accident; it is a failure of systems, supervision and conscience,” Mbewe said.
Efforts to obtain clarity from ADMARC only deepened concerns. When contacted, spokesperson Theresa Chapulapula said she was unaware of the matter and promised to respond. By the time of publication, repeated follow-up calls went unanswered—silence that commentators say has become a familiar response when public institutions are confronted with uncomfortable truths.
Meanwhile, ADMARC has attempted to reassure the public about product safety. Chief Executive Officer Ben Botolo said the quality of maize flour sold in ADMARC markets remains high, citing the recent withdrawal of 45 metric tonnes of flour after routine inspections detected packaging defects that led to contamination. While the company portrays this as evidence of effective quality control, critics argue that it instead confirms systemic weaknesses that allowed contaminated products to reach the market in the first place.
Botolo revealed that by July 2025, ADMARC had milled 473 metric tonnes of maize, producing Cream of Maize, wholegrain flour and maize bran. He said all products were sold, leaving 97.14 metric tonnes of maize flour in stock as of December 18, 2025. But commentators question how these figures reconcile with the 132 tonnes reported rotten, and whether the full scale of losses has been disclosed.
To analysts, the contradiction between corporate assurances and recurring contamination incidents exposes a troubling pattern: problems are acknowledged only after damage is done, and responsibility is diffused rather than owned. “This is not just about spoiled maize,” one governance analyst noted. “It is about how public food reserves are handled, who benefits when things go wrong, and who pays the price when accountability fails.”
As ADMARC promises to strengthen quality control measures, commentators insist that technical fixes alone will not restore public trust. What is required, they argue, is full transparency, independent investigation and consequences. Until then, the image of 132 tonnes of food rotting in warehouses will continue to haunt a country where many citizens struggle to afford a single bag of maize flour.
And in that contrast, critics say, lies the real scandal.
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