Kapito says Zambia maize deal ‘stinky’ and humiliating Malawi leadership: Kaloswe sues Admarc
Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito has called the rot in the procurement process of maize from neighbouring Zambia as “stinky” and also “humiliating” to the leadership of Malawi for its suspected corruption scandal.
The maize purchase deal is currently marred with controversy regarding contractual issues involving the State-produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).
While Admarc boss Foster Mulumbe insists that Admarc is buying the staple grain from Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF), a government agency, documents show that Admarc is actually using a private Zambian company, Kaloswe Commuter and Courier Limited.
“This transaction is not only stinky, it is also humiliating to the leadership of this country,” said Kapito on Daybreak Malawi program aired on Capital Radio on Thursday.
Kapito has since backed calls for an inquiry to be carried out.
He, however, said the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security should outsource an independent body of expertise to conduct the probe.
Human rights activist Charles Kajoloweka also backed the calls for a commission of inquiry to be set up to investigate the entire process.
And Timothy Mtambo the executive director of Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has said the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should. institute investigations into reports of corruption in the purchase of maize from Zambia “as a matter of urgency.”
Mtambo said: “ACB should be seen to be proactive in fighting corruption rather than waiting for a complaint, as we have recently been made to believe.”
Meanwhile, Kaloswe is suing Admarc for breach of contract.
According to Kaloswe chief executive officer, Isaac Kapambwe, his company signed a contract with Admarc in June 2016 to purchase and deliver maize.
Kapambwe said his company has “all communications” on the deal with Admarc.
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security George Chaponda has not commented on the matter.
But Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security chairperson Joseph Chidanti-Malunga said they will grill Chaponda to explain the perceived mess, particularly on the use of a private company as a broker of the maize deal in Zambia.
Malawi government spokesman and Minister of Information, Nicholous Dausi, has said accusing government of corruption in the maize deal is “fallacious”, saying the matter is being blown out of proportion by Zambian opposition leader, Saviour Chishimba.
Chishimba said in statement that on 6th September 2016, Admarc boss Malumbe wrote an email to Kaloswe “in which he was categorically re-affirming that all logistical costs on the Zambian size would be met by Kaloswe as per the agreement. “
The same email was copied to the First Capital Bank.
“On 6th September 2016, ZCF wrote a letter to Kaloswe in which they were confirming that logistical payments are to be made to Kaloswe on need-based. This letter was signed by a Mr. Frank Munthali the ZCF director of finance. The director of finance was replying to the request by Kaloswe to be paid an advance of US$350, 000 for logistics. Apparently, ZCF indicated that the payment would be considered ‘…once the documents are finalised,” Chishimba claimed.
But Dausi said on Capital Radio: “These are intentional statements by political party leader opposition in Zambia Mr Chishimba. We would want to have the details of the allegations that he has levelled against both sides of the government.”
Dausi, a former state chief spy said he cannot be drawn into “international police investigators or crime investigators.”
Malawi government obtained a loan of K26 billion from the Eastern and Southern African Development Bank (PTA Bank) to purchase 100, 000 metric tonnes of maize from government of Zambia through Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF).
In October, Admarc said by November it would have brought in about 300 000 metric tonnes from Zambia and overseas countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Romania.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
If the DPP is going to win again in 2019 there will be war in this country. No well
meaning Malawian will allow these thieves to be in power again .Mark my words.
Let us be patriotic to our country. We should not support a party just because its leaders are from where we come from. This corruption is not only affecting people from the north or the centre. Malawians from all corners are suffering. To you cadets you will die poor while the leaders you are supporting are getting richer and richer because of your ignorance. Some of you cadets are graduates and you know better. Let us fight for a better Malawi. We should not be ruled by thieves who are there just to loot and plunder our meagre resources. With… Read more »
While at it, some of us have not forgotten Mr Peter Mlamba. Where is he? Why?
The only hope malawians have is an immediate coup de tant. Muthalika must go by any means necessary. He is finally showing his true colors. A bonafide thief!!
Malawi will be in tatters by 2019 if God does not intervene because, Malawians and watch dog institutions are just looking on when so much corruption is going on, on a day to day basis.. Lord have mercy for the poor Malawians.
This is very pathetic for Malawi as a country. I don’t know when we shall learn to consider those poor villagers who have got literally nothing to point at as food. No wonder a 50kg bag of maize was raised from MK5000.00 to MK12000.00. This is it. aMalawi kusamva, fisi ndi fisi, olo angasinthe ntchile amakhalabe fisi basi
Let me repeat what I have said not once, not twice, not thrice but times without number that Malawians made a big mistake voting DPP back to power. DPP is a grand master of theft in Malawi, the master of cashgate. Have you ever wondered why they don’t want to investigate the 577 billion MK. Malawi will develop but not with DPP. These guys will milk the think cow to death. The next thing that we must wait for is terrorism, a trade mark of the zikwanje party.
Interesting that the late Bakuwa who was at the heart of these deals died in Zambia. Was somebody trying to hide something by killing him?
Kapito and all commentators including Zambian opposition are empty tins making the most noise. Kapito is busy failing as board chair of minute water utility company as well as in the consumer body but he wants to be a champion in matters of government. Many of you do not know what is involved in International trade.The writer clearly says the maize is not directly owned the gov’t of Zambia but ZCF with logistics of transport ccontracted to Kaloswe. Please let professionals have their input in such matters and the nation will be ably infored. Kapito is not a competent professional… Read more »
lets wait and see the progress,ACB is watching as well here… No need to inform them. Let them show their independent as a body.