Maize vanished, no one to answer for it
Between July and September last year, an estimated number of people, representing 13 percent of the country’s population, experienced acute food shortages in the country. Strange as it may be, but in October about 7 500 bags of maize vanished en route from the Northern Region to the Strategic Grain Reserves in Lilongwe.
Mystery surrounded the growing wings of 13 trucks laden with 410 metric tonnes of maize worth K123 million from Admarc depots to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) in the Capital. Just like that!
And then, like all maize scandals in Malawi, surfaced the ‘transporter’ Smolet Kachere of Kachere Agriculture Trading was the ‘owner’ of the trucks that vanished into thin air. Apparently, further investigations revealed Kachere was not a transporter, but a supplier who allegedly manipulated some documents.
Amazing.
Now, on March 28 the NFRA board met and decided to fire chief executive officer Brenda Kayongo and former acting director of operations Symon Banda. The two were fired for incompetence and gross negligence. Primarily, it was because Banda failed to check out the ownership and security of the vehicles while Kayongo failed to supervise those under her in all this.
Normally, issues involving maize end just like that. It will not be surprising to see this issue not being pursued. Issues about maize and agriculture often end in queer circumstances.
As we are talking tons of maize rot in the hands of the grain dealer. Not once, but several times. Yet, no one was ever brought to book. No one accounted for the maize. Just like that.
By the way, what happened to the people who went ahead and tried to purchase fertiliser meant for the Agricultural Inputs Programme in a butchery somewhere in London? It is all water under the bridge!
While we are at it, former minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe single handedly ordered the closure of Admarc. To date, his case was long closed in a Cabinet reshuffle and next thing we heard was he was about establishing diplomatic ties with some nondescript country in Europe.
We are used to this kind of see-no-evil, hear-no-evil and say no-evil mentality. A Malawi Congress Party faithful was recently seen being dusted by police officers when he wanted to use an improper entrance when President Lazarus Chakwera was opening the Lilongwe Tobacco Auction Floors. The next thing we saw, instead of the man appearing in court, was that he was free and declaring his love for the party in a video.
If this is not impunity, what is?
If you don’t escape the long arm of the law because you are politically connected, you find yourself out by queer pardons. You are convicted, spend a few months in jail and the next moment you are out at the pleasure of the president.
This clause about the pleasure of the President smacks of undemocratic traits. Some time back, one former President reportedly released a relative accused of rape. Can we have a clear criteria for those being pardoned apart from showing good behaviour. What is good behaviour? By whose standards?
So, those who made the maize trucks disappear will be pardoned one day if they are found and tried. We are guilty of torts by breaking the social contract.
