The shame of buying our own maize from neighbours

Dear Editor, I JUST cannot imagine the dishonour of Zambia buying back its maize it sold to countries like Tanzania and Uganda.

To me, it is like Zambia lacks even the horse sense to run its affairs. UPND hurriedly got rid of PF maize and mealie-meal because it hates this party for reasons perhaps only Seer 1 can explain.

During the same careless exports our Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma joyfully told us Lusaka had just pocketed US$15 million from our maize it sold to DR Congo. Mr Lufuma appeared not to have any penitence when he admitted that his government's action will create serious shortages locally but that it would still go ahead to export.

This was being done after Zambia was forewarned in 2023 about the impending drought caused by El Nino, but the new dawn administration decided they were saints who knew better only to land Zambia in serious food deficits.

This, for me, is not governance but costly political battles it has with PF which have resulted in the current severe food shortages. Sadly, when these unthinkable exports were taking place, Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri was kept in the refrigerator. Why?

I can only deduce the contrition of knocking on the doors of the countries we sold our maize to and asking them to sell us some. Like the works of Karma, this hatred for PF is now beginning to erode UPND itself for being the vessel of poison of hate. Of course, the UPND top leadership could not be bothered because they can do without maize for years. This mealie-meal scandal should not be allowed, in the name of the Virgin Mary, to show its ugly head ever again because of the suffering it has brought on Zambians.