Harry Kalaba, leader of the Citizens First party, has raised concerns about the Zambian government’s handling of a critical maize importation deal with Tanzania. He criticized the alleged mismanagement of the agreement to procure 650,000 metric tonnes of maize meant to alleviate hunger caused by the ongoing drought, which President Hakainde Hichilema has declared a national disaster.
Dr. Kalaba expressed alarm over reports that Tanzania had halted the delivery of maize to Zambia due to the government’s failure to meet contractual obligations. He questioned how the government could allow such a failure to occur after selling 1.5 million metric tonnes of maize to Tanzania and subsequently initiating the import deal.
“It is disheartening that while Zambians are on the brink of severe hunger, the UPND government is embroiled in corruption and mismanagement, leaving citizens to suffer,” Dr. Kalaba stated. He noted that only 14,000 metric tonnes of maize out of the 200,000 reportedly paid for had been delivered so far, and he urged the Minister of Agriculture to clarify the situation.
Dr. Kalaba also warned of the worsening food security situation, given forecasts of prolonged dry spells in regions like Southern, Western, and North-Western provinces. He criticized the government for allegedly compounding the crisis through poor planning and mismanagement, calling for immediate and transparent action to address the maize importation challenges and ensure food security for citizens.
