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| National |
| Malawi maize smuggled to Tanzania,Malawi maize smuggled to Tanzania |
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by
Peter Makossah,Peter Makossah, 19 January 2004
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17:27:29
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Despite government’s ban a fortnight ago on maize exports, there are reports that several tonnes of Malawian maize are being smuggled into neighbouring Tanzania everyday through Karonga.
Senior Traditional Authority (Mtemi) Kilipula of Karonga told the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs which was visiting the area at Mwenitete Primary School that there is no maize at all selling points in the district because Admarc personnel are selling the grain to Tanzanian business tycoons at a higher price.
The chief appealed to the committee, whose chairperson Trifonia Dafter is also a member of Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, to inform President Bakili Muluzi his government’s ban is being defied and local people have no food.
“Let me take advantage to ask you to take this message to the government that all Admarc markets are closed because they say they have no maize yet when the maize comes they sell the grain to business people from Tanzania. Please tell the president to make a fresh order accompanied with tight security to control the maize from being exported to Tanzania and other countries when we do not have enough to eat.”
Mtemi Kilipula informed the parliamentary committee that truckloads of maize pass through the roadblocks heading to Songwe border.
“I am very concerned that if this continues then it will affect the elections. How can a hungry person go and register or vote? Something must be done immediately otherwise things are not well,” complained the chief.
Village headman Mwenitete from Chief Kilipula’s area said in an interview that all Admarc markets in the northern part of Karonga are closed.
“All Admarc markets are closed because they do not have maize stocks yet we see them opened at night and selling the maize to business people at a very high price. Government must make sure that the police is doing its job well,” said Mwenitete.
Nation Online investigations revealed that most Tanzanians are using Malawians in buying the grain from Admarc and some villagers. It is believed that they then smuggle the maize using the roadblocks with the help of police officers.
A visit with the four legislators to the Tanzanian border of Kisumulu discovered heaps of maize piled just about 500 metres from the Malawi’s Songwe border.
Tanzanian trucks were seen loading the maize and on enquiry. Nation Online learnt that the maize was being transported to different parts of Tanzania where it sold at a very expensive price as that country is experiencing shortage of the grain.
“We are making quick money out of the maize we are getting from Malawi because we have shortage of maize here in Tanzania,” said Muhammad Mwakangeke, a Tanzanian found at Kisumulu border, loading maize in a truck waiting to transport it to Dar-es-Salaam on Wednesday evening.
Dafter said that it is unfortunate that people are smuggling maize to Tanzania when the country is struggling to prepare for the drought, noting that will only make things worse.
“But it’s good that I have heard for myself and seen the maize at the border. I will report the matter to Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture so that something can be done to arrest the situation,” she said.
Mchinji North East MP Chikoti Kumbuyo said that the government should not be contended in making verbal directives and think people can stop smuggling the grain outside the country.
“A verbal directive is nothing but words. The government needs to do something about it or else people will die of hunger,” said Kumbuyo.
Director of administration and acting District Commissioner for Karonga Steve Chima confirmed the development Thursday, saying people are smuggling tonnes of maize to Tanzania from all over Malawi and are just using Karonga as a way out.
Said Chima: “Most of the maize smuggled to Tanzania does not use the road blocks they use bush paths and later transport the maize on canoes on the river Songwe out to Tanzania. I have also heard that business people are buying from Admarc and that the police have seized a truck full of maize but we are yet to confirm.”
Police in Karonga refused to comment on the matter but inside sources at Karonga Police Station revealed that a 10-tonne truck belonging to Karonga Admarc depot was seized on its way to Tanzania. The depot’s depot manager is reportedly being probed on the matter.
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Despite government’s ban a fortnight ago on maize exports, there are reports that several tonnes of Malawian maize are being smuggled into neighbouring Tanzania everyday through Karonga.
Senior Traditional Authority (Mtemi) Kilipula of Karonga told the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs which was visiting the area at Mwenitete Primary School that there is no maize at all selling points in the district because Admarc personnel are selling the grain to Tanzanian business tycoons at a higher price.
The chief appealed to the committee, whose chairperson Trifonia Dafter is also a member of Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, to inform President Bakili Muluzi his government’s ban is being defied and local people have no food.
“Let me take advantage to ask you to take this message to the government that all Admarc markets are closed because they say they have no maize yet when the maize comes they sell the grain to business people from Tanzania. Please tell the president to make a fresh order accompanied with tight security to control the maize from being exported to Tanzania and other countries when we do not have enough to eat.”
Mtemi Kilipula informed the parliamentary committee that truckloads of maize pass through the roadblocks heading to Songwe border.
“I am very concerned that if this continues then it will affect the elections. How can a hungry person go and register or vote? Something must be done immediately otherwise things are not well,” complained the chief.
Village headman Mwenitete from Chief Kilipula’s area said in an interview that all Admarc markets in the northern part of Karonga are closed.
“All Admarc markets are closed because they do not have maize stocks yet we see them opened at night and selling the maize to business people at a very high price. Government must make sure that the police is doing its job well,” said Mwenitete.
Nation Online investigations revealed that most Tanzanians are using Malawians in buying the grain from Admarc and some villagers. It is believed that they then smuggle the maize using the roadblocks with the help of police officers.
A visit with the four legislators to the Tanzanian border of Kisumulu discovered heaps of maize piled just about 500 metres from the Malawi’s Songwe border.
Tanzanian trucks were seen loading the maize and on enquiry. Nation Online learnt that the maize was being transported to different parts of Tanzania where it sold at a very expensive price as that country is experiencing shortage of the grain.
“We are making quick money out of the maize we are getting from Malawi because we have shortage of maize here in Tanzania,” said Muhammad Mwakangeke, a Tanzanian found at Kisumulu border, loading maize in a truck waiting to transport it to Dar-es-Salaam on Wednesday evening.
Dafter said that it is unfortunate that people are smuggling maize to Tanzania when the country is struggling to prepare for the drought, noting that will only make things worse.
“But it’s good that I have heard for myself and seen the maize at the border. I will report the matter to Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture so that something can be done to arrest the situation,” she said.
Mchinji North East MP Chikoti Kumbuyo said that the government should not be contended in making verbal directives and think people can stop smuggling the grain outside the country.
“A verbal directive is nothing but words. The government needs to do something about it or else people will die of hunger,” said Kumbuyo.
Director of administration and acting District Commissioner for Karonga Steve Chima confirmed the development Thursday, saying people are smuggling tonnes of maize to Tanzania from all over Malawi and are just using Karonga as a way out.
Said Chima: “Most of the maize smuggled to Tanzania does not use the road blocks they use bush paths and later transport the maize on canoes on the river Songwe out to Tanzania. I have also heard that business people are buying from Admarc and that the police have seized a truck full of maize but we are yet to confirm.”
Police in Karonga refused to comment on the matter but inside sources at Karonga Police Station revealed that a 10-tonne truck belonging to Karonga Admarc depot was seized on its way to Tanzania. The depot’s depot manager is reportedly being probed on the matter.
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