Zambian firm claims losses after maize detention
Zambia’s Global Partnership for Africa Development Limited has claimed a $20 000 (about K20.6 million) loss emanating from the detention of its maize last month by police and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) in Karonga.
The company’s director Edward Mukunto made the claim in an interview yesterday after their trucks carrying 60 tonnes of maize were released on Friday, almost a month after they were detained in transit to Tanzania.
He attributed the loss to cancellation of contracts by their cl ients and transporters demanding extra cost following the detention he described as illegal.
Mukunto said: “During this period, we have $20 000 loss of business and transporters are charging $200 per day…[The loss] It’s because of the time trucks were held. It resulted in the change in prices we are going to sell the maize as the contract was cancelled.”
He said he secured the maize importation clearance from Malawi and Zambia’s custom authorities, wondering how the maize ended up being detained.
“The trucks have valid export documents from the country of origin which is Zambia, our trucks were cleared by Zambia Revenue Authority as well as Malawi Revenue Authority to transit through Malawi to Tanzania.”
Mukunto could not immediately state what action he would take against the Malawi Government, saying he would like to assess the maize quality first.
But MDF spokesperson Major Kelvin Mlelemba said some of the maize was detained to allow the ministries of Trade and Agriculture authenticate their documentation.
“Some of the traders didn’t have authentic documen t s des p i t e claiming to have them. This is why after authenticating them some trucks get released,” he said.
Last month, MDF and Police intercepted 25 truckloads of maize in Karonga and Chitipa destined for Tanzania amid an export ban of the commodity.
Ministry of Trade and Industry spokesperson Mayeso Msokera told The Nation at the time that after getting to Chitipa, the transporters were offloading the maize to trucks headed for Tanzania.
Malawi is enforcing a maize export ban and any export of the grain is subjected to checks for authenticity of documentation.
