By 
The Patriotic Front (PF), led by Edgar Lungu, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to disclose the brands of mealie meal that have tested positive for aflatoxins.
This followed a government warning regarding the presence of aflatoxin, a dangerous toxin, in some maize products on the market, which had been linked to the deaths of 400 dogs in the past month.
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka, PF faction Secretary-General, Raphael Nakacinda, stated that the government had acknowledged several brands testing positive for aflatoxins.
He condemned the failure to disclose these brands, likening it to committing “genocide and health terrorism” against the citizens.
“We challenge the individual whose dogs died to reveal the mealie meal he fed them and inform the nation,” Nakacinda said.
Nakacinda also urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to send experts for a thorough, independent assessment of the situation.
“When diseases of this magnitude threaten lives, WHO must take a keen interest. We are calling on WHO to dispatch health experts for an independent assessment,” he added.
Nakacinda alleged that the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency had completed a report on the issue, which has been with President Hakainde Hichilema and the Ministry of Health for over eight months.
He accused the government of neglecting the report in favor of manipulating mealie meal tonnage to influence prices.
“In Zambia, under the UNIP and MMD governments, silos were developed for strategic maize storage, allowing for long-term storage of up to 10 years. But in countries from which we are importing, mealie meal is not a staple food, leading to these problems,” Nakacinda explained.
He criticized the current administration, stating that the problems began when President Hichilema and the UPND overpromised on stabilizing the price of the dollar.
“Initially, videos surfaced of maize packed in Zambia National Service (ZNS) bags being imported. When questioned, they began importing unpackaged mealie meal and maize, later repackaged in ZNS sacks,” Nakacinda claimed.
He claimed that the mealie meal in question was genetically modified and called for an independent test and audit.
He also urged the government to allow samples of ZNS mealie meal to be tested abroad to verify that it was not genetically modified and does not contain substantial levels of aflatoxins.
Nakacinda claimed that the PF’s research bureau had found that aflatoxins were widely present in genetically modified foods and called on Zambians to stop consuming ZNS mealie meal until a thorough report was issued by the relevant authorities.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments