DPP denies donating  maize from Admarc

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has sprung up swiftly to deny reports that it is responsible for acute shortage of maize in Admarc depots in the north because it has been using its ruling party prowess to buy the K5 million grain which it has been distributing in the north.

Party spokesman Francis Kasaira said the party has been buying the maize from private traders.

Minister of Information Jappie Mhango and party official Charles Mhango have been distributing K5 million worth of maize to district hospitals in the past weeks heightening reports that the party was taking Admarc maize.

Kasaira said: “We have been sourcing the maize from private traders. You and me can stand on queue for maize but patients cannot, this is why as a party we sourced the maize and give it to hospitals.”

Chancellor College political scientist Mustafa Hussein said in the absence of the access to Information law, Malawians would never know if indeed the DPP was sourcing the maize from private traders.

Another political scientist Joseph Chunga said it was wrong for the ruling party to donate the maize to score a political point.

Chairman of parliamentary committee on Agriculture  Felix Jumbe said he was surprised that there were no maize in most Admarc depots yet his committee checked and confirmed the availability of the grain.

He blamed some Admarc officials for conniving with vendors to buy in bulks and also transportation problems.

Minister of Agriculture Allan Chiyembekeza said apart from the vendors, there are serious transportation problems as same transporters are also involved in transporting farm inputs fertilizer and also World Food Programme relief maize.