Maravi

(NYASATIMES) Govt distributes maize in Kaliati constituency

Govt distributes maize in Kaliati constituency
16 January, 2009 01:04:00

Just a week after Minister of Information and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati got shocked with news of maize scarcity in his home area, Mkando, government on Wednesday 14 January started distributing maize to Admarc depots in the area.

This came after people of Mkando last week forced UDF national chairman Dr Bakili Muluzi to stopover witness how people are scrambling for maize husks at Mkando market, just some meters away from Kaliati's home. Government has since made available sixteen trucks of maize in the constituency.

“We have already distributed the maize to Chingoli and Sanjama Trading Centres; we are yet to continue with the distribution exercise as per instructions,” said one of the officials involved in the exercise.

“It was like a surprise to the people of Mkando who have been surviving on madeya when they saw sixteen trucks of maize in the area I think Muluzi did a good job,” he said.

Mkando is one of the areas in Malawi where people have been severely affected by the hunger.

Last week a small basin of maize bran was going at K100.00 but government spokesperson, Kaliati maintains that the country has enough maize.

“Our minister and Member of Parliament for this constituency comes from [there] she passes by here and she sees us scrambling for maize, yet we hear her on radio saying we have enough maize,” said one old woman, Nyamazao Mkumba, who was found at the market.

The Nation newspaper on Tuesday reported of food crisis in prisons where thousands are sleeping on empty stomachs.

Minister of Home Affairs minister Ernest Malenga told the paper that it was due to government's failure to realize funding to buy maize to feed an estimated 7,000 in mates in Malawi prisons.

But Finance Minister Goodal Gondwe dismissed his colleague's claims on the delayed funding.

Commentators have said that the misunderstanding is an indication that government is failing to source maize for prisoners.

Labels: HUNGER, MAIZE, PATRICIA KALIATI

posted by MrK @ 5:48 PM