Maizegate Scandal: Admarc has no contract with Transglobe as Chishimba is accused of ‘creating hoax’
The joint parliamentary committee investigating the maizegate scandal will be more confused when they establish that the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) did not have any contract with one of the local companies Transglobe to supply 50, 000 metric tonnes of maize from Zambia.
Parliamentary committee Chair Jospeh Chidanti Malunga expressed surprise at the weekend when his committee was told in Zambia during investigations that apart from the Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF), Admarc also contracted Transglobe to deliver 50,000 metric tonnes.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia Julius Shawa simply advised that a permit was issued to Transglobe but an opposition politician Savior Chishimba told the committee that Transglobe was involved in the maize deal.
Malunga said this piece of information has now confused his committee and indicated that they will summon Admarc again and Transglobe to explain their side of the story.
However, Nyasa Times can reveal that Admarc never entered into any contract with Transglobe to deliver maize from Zambia.
“Look, I am privy to information regarding what happened, Admarc never entered into any deal with Transglobe or any other local company to transport maize from Zambia. What I know is that Transglobe and other local traders had maize in Zambia but they could not export it to Malawi because of the Zambia government’s export ban on maize.
“Transglobe and many other Malawian companies had a lot of maize in Zambia but they could not bring it here but of course they were fighting for an export permit.”
“They were given a permit to export 50,000 metric tonnes but in the end they did not use it because it was there was an oversight as Transglobe did not have any contract with government or any government agency to deliver the maize.”
“In the end Transglobe exported only around 1,500 metric tonnes to Malawi under contract to ZCF and under the ZCF export permit,” said an insider who works for Admarc but did not want to be named.
“This whole thing is political and the committee should be very careful with the Zambian politician who gave them this information. If they had done their homework, they could have found out that this Chishimba has his own corruption case he is answering and maybe doing this to divert attention,” said the source.
It has since been discovered by the Zambian Anti-Corruption Commission that Chishimba generated the hoax based on information provided to him by a relative and the same was flouted to the Malawian media houses.
The Sunday Nation newspaper of Zambia reported that Chishimba created a maizegate hoax “after being misled by his relative at Kaloswe Commutter and Couriers Services that the Letter if Credit (LC) from PTA Bank to the Zambia Cooperatives Federation was the accutual wiring of money for the initial contract.”
The paper quoting unnamed source said one of the bosses at Kaloswe presented the documents to Chishima so that he would use his influence to wrstle the said money away from ZCF using the LC to prove that oney was transferred but he concealed the notice of termination of the contract from Admarc.
ZCF has maintained that it had never eceived any money from SAmarc as the ferrying of maize to Malawi was ongoing and that they agreed payment will be made once 10,000 tonnes were ferried to Malawi.
Transglobe officials refused to comment on the matter saying the issue will be clarified in due course through the appropriate channels.
Meanwhile, the joint committee of Parliament conducting an inquiry into the maizegate has summoned officials of Transglobe Produce Export Limited as well as Grain Traders Association of Malawi chairperson Grace Mijiga.
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I hope a Daily Times are reading all these revelations. Mukauzane ndi a Chakwera anuwo. U MCP basi. Mwagwa nayo.
O………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..O The way this story is introduced, “The Parliamentary Committee will be more confused . . . .” is not only misleading but also injurious to the soul of every well-meaning Malawian. . . . Where from does the writer think the Parliamentary Committee’s confusion will come? . . . And why “more confused” as if the Committee is confused already? Your opinion, right? Ha! . . . Who doesn’t know that professionalism in journalism demands that people desist from inputting their tasteless opinion in a story? . . . Kodi inu, is it not you (the writers) who brought… Read more »
There is none in the parliamentary committee that has the investigative skills – that is why we are having twists and turns. The best thing should have been the committee to team up with Anti-corruption Bureau to jointly carry out the investigation. The confusion that is emerging will lead to total loss of the saga and get Chaponda vindicated. I will rule Gambia for 1 billion years.
Tisamude msanga chishimba chifukwa aliyense akukokela mbali yake. Lets wait and see.
typical malawians. we have accused innocent people of mischiefs and fraud based on the information of a fraudster! the real culprits are those who reported a false ‘maizegate’ in the first place. they have wasted the time and resources of the nation when we have none to spare!! who is accountable when false stories are spread and reputations are soiled for nothing???? in life issues the ones who gained are usually the guilty ones and the ones who have gained here are the ones collecting ma allowances!!!
So already, u are believing that this whole is false. Do not you think that the other side may be false? See how it has been done, the paper in Zambia quoting unnamed source and they are saying this is political, Chishimba is an opposition politician, we may also need to start connecting the dots before throw away the baby and water
Fake news. False news. Rumors. It seems this investigation was, in large part, based on all the above three. And we are still chasing the shadow! Top Malawian politicians, like oChakwera in MCP, and the piggy backing PPs, were duped. Not only them, but even the Times Group, that corporate tax evader; and they are supposed to be a leading media house in this country? Is there any grey matter between the ears of the Kapasulas, and the other so-called investigative journalists there? And ma CSOs achibwana (immature CSO, chasing the ever eluding meaningless fame). I am just shocked at… Read more »
In your own post dzulo you said Chaponda admitted meeting Tayub who told Chaponda that he had maize which he wanted to supply to government. Nyasatimes told us that Chaponda advised Transglobe to talk to ZCF. (The same matter was reported by the Daily Times dzulo). Nowhere did you or Daily Times report that Chishimba had said that Transglobe had a contract with ADMARC. Actually, if you read Chishimba’s submission to the Parliamentary Committee, he concludes by asking for further investigation as to whom did Transglobe had a contract. Was it with ADMARC or Ministry of Agriculture Malawi, ZCF or… Read more »
THE ISSUE SHOULD BE, WAS THERE REALLY A FAMINE IN MALAWI? HOW COME ONLY 5000 M TONS OUT OF 100000 HAVE BEEN IMPORTED AND YET THERE IS ENOUGH MAIZE. HARVEST TIME IS ONLY NEXT MONTH AND IT IS CLEAR THAT WE DON’T NEED THE 95000.
SOMEBODY HERE WAS TRYING TO STEAL FROM MALAWIANS BY EXAGGERATING THE EXTENT OF THE FAMINE.
Yes! I also share the same view. The problem here is that responsible officers stopped working long long long time ago. They are just media fans. They take it from the media. Long long time ago the department of planning was very vibrant. The national was being informed even before the harvest of how many metric tonnes of each commodity would be harvested in that particular year. Nowadays we are busy chasing the shadows. We take it to the media and CSOs yet they are after money. Wake up Malawi. Tipusa nazo izi. Ena apeza money apa nkhani za ziii!… Read more »
Chishima giving false information. He wants to ruin the stable relationship between us. All is political basi, kuonongerana mbiri even here in Malawi.
Shut up.