Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has responded to the recent mealie meal shortage affecting some regions of the country.
In a statement, the President acknowledged the severity of the situation, especially with the commodity shortage in neighbouring countries.
He also mentioned that an emergency response has been activated to address this specific situation.
The President appealed to the citizens to uphold the interventions implemented by the government and maintain lawful and orderly conduct. He also assured the public that the measures taken will improve the situation and that the government will closely monitor developments on the ground.
However, in the Kazungula district, mealie meal traders have threatened to pull out of business if the shortage of the commodity persists. A random check by ZANIS at the Kazungula market area revealed that most of the shops dealing in mealie meal have run out of stock.
Mealie meal trader Brighton Mwampole stated that it has been a month since he last stocked mealie meal at his shop. Mr. Mwampole attributed the shortage to mealie meal suppliers not being willing to sell the commodity to retail traders buying 200 or more bags.
He also cited National Milling, Choma Milling, and Simba Milling companies as suppliers of mealie meal who have imposed restrictions in Livingstone, adding that such measures have affected retail traders from Kazungula who are unable to continue with the mealie meal business.
Mr. Mwampole and other mealie meal traders called for government intervention over the matter, as there will be no profit in selling mealie meal to consumers if they are being restricted to buying a few bags from milling companies. They also expressed concern that other traders could hike the mealie meal price to cover transportation costs, making it difficult for consumers to afford the commodity.
As the government implements emergency measures to address the mealie meal shortage in the country, it is imperative to ensure that all regions have access to the commodity to prevent price hikes and undue economic strain on citizens
