By A Correspondent- Grain millers are in the habit of hoarding government’s subsidised maize meal to sell on the black market, a development that has led to serious shortages of the product, Parliament heard yesterday.
This was said by minister of Industry Sekai Nzenza in the Senate while responding to a question by MDC Senator for Bulawayo Gideon Shoko regarding the progress made by the recently established taskforce to ensure transparent and equitable distribution of maize meal in light of the current shortages.
“Our committee is still very much alive and operational, but the challenge we are facing is that we have not been getting enough maize.
“The other challenge is that whenever it is there, we have a problem with millers who are hoarding the maize meal to sell on the black market at prices ranging between $116 and $160 per $10 kg against government’s endeavour to have citizens getting the product at $70 per 10 kg,” Nzenza said.
Her response came despite the fact that the taskforce was set up ostensibly to make follow-ups with retailers to curb diversion of the maize meal to the black market.
When MDC senator for Masvingo Tichinani Mavetera suggested that the government needed to direct the maize meal to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), Nzenza said the option was under consideration.
She also said the government was still in the process of coming up with a database for extremely vulnerable individuals who are eligible for the subsidized maize meal.
Meanwhile, deputy Energy minister Magna Mudyiwa was taken to task by senators who wanted to know why the government was issuing out licences to sell copper wire which is not produced locally and that Zesa Holdings was grappling with copper cables theft and vandalism of transformers.
“Unfortunately, the issuance of the licence is done by the Home Affairs ministry, not us. We have, however, engaged with the ministry to try and convince them to reconsider their position regarding that,” Mudyiwa said.
She also responded to a barrage of questions from the legislators who demanded to know the rationale of allowing some fuel service stations to sell their product in US dollars in a development that has seen those that are supposed to sell using local currency now selling in hard currency.
Mudyiwa requested that she be furnished with the names of such service stations for the government to take action.
“We only have a few selected ones who supply diplomats and some non-governmental organisations that are allowed to sell in foreign currency. The rest must sell in our own currency. Anyone doing that is violating the law and we will be happy to have their names,” Mudyiwa said.-DailyNews