Chaponda caught with pants down, contradicts Mutharika on Zambia maize deal

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Dr. George Chaponda has contradicted President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika in his recent statement regarding his involvement in the procurement of maize from Zambia.

On Wednesday, Chaponda issued a statement where he clarified his involvement in the Zambia maize deal which has attracted strong condemnation from all corners, saying his in the misprocurement was minimal as State-produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe was the one in charge.

In the statement, Chaponda further claimed that he went to Zambia twice to discuss the maize deal when he led a three man delegation on 8th May, 2016 and then on 11th December, 2016, as a special Envoy of the President Peter Mutharika to meet Zambian leader Edgar Lungu.

But published reports by one of the popular local daily papers in the country [Daily Times] indicate Chaponda went to Zambia more than twice.

The paper reported that the dates Chaponda mentions “contradicts” with what President Mutharika said on October 21, 2016 at a news conference upon returning from UN summit.

The President is quoted saying on October 21 that Chaponda was in Zambia signing maize purchase deal with President Lungu.

This is also in line with what the State Controlled Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC 1) said in its story aired and published on its online page titled”Zambia removes ban on maize export to MW”.

In the story, MBC reported that Zambian government has agreed to exempt its ban on all maize exports to the 100, 000 Metric tons of Maize to be delivered to Malawi following the discusions between Chaponda and Lungu on October 21, 2016.

“I am pleased to say that President Lungu of Zambia was very considerate he said he is allowing the delivery of maize to Malawi to happen on two grounds. First, is in the interest of the agreement which was made before the imposition of the ban and secondly is because of the mutual relationship which Malawi and Zambia enjoy being neighbors”, Chaponda was quoted in the article.

When pressed for comment on the said trip by Daily Times reporter, Chaponda reacted with anger.

Meanwhile Malawians continue to call for Chaponda’s resignation over the maize deal