Government has with immediate effect lifted the ban on Kasama Milling Company, which was one of the four companies blacklisted for exporting mealie meal outside the country, despite accessing subsidized maize from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
President Edgar Lungu announced the development when he made a stop-over at Kasama Airport today en-route to Chinsali in Muchinga Province where he is gracing the Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The Head of State said he decided to pardon Kasama Milling Company Proprietor Lupando Munkonge in order to address the mealie meal shortage being experienced in Kasama and beyond.
President Lungu however warned Mr Munkonge to desist from illegal export of mealie meal to neighbouring countries.
He said he is aware of the unlawful dealings that Kasama milling company has been engaged in prior to its termination of contract with FRA from accessing subsidized maize.
The President has since directed the firm to meet the local demand of mealie meal and ensure that it is sold at an affordable price.
And Mr Munkonge, who knelt before the head of state, has since assured the president that his company will no longer engage in underhand deals but will strive to stabilize the local supply of mealie meal.
Meanwhile, Northern Province Minister Freedom Sikazwe has praised President Lungu for pardoning Kasama Milling Company saying the shortage of mealie meal will now be a thing of the past.
And commenting on the unstable fuel supply in some parts of the country, President Lungu said the matter is receiving serious attention from his government.
The President has since assured the nation that the fuel situation will soon normalize following drastic steps taken by government to ensure adequate supply of the commodity in the country.
President Edgar Lungu has arrived in Muchinga province ahead of the 50 years commemorations of the Kenneth Kaunda secondary school.
The Presidential chopper carrying President Lungu touched down Chinsali airstrip at exactly 12:05 hours.
He was received by Muchinga provincial minister Mwimba Malama, cabinet ministers, senior government and party officials.
The president is accompanied by first Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
While in Muchinga the President will Inspect the construction of 30 low and medium cost houses and other development projects.
Later today the President is expected to Address a public rally at Liondola high school in the afternoon.
Tomorrow President Lungu is also expected to attend a church service at Lubwa.
After the church service, Mr Lungu will Tour the burial site for KK’s parents and other missionaries in Lubwa.
Before concluding his two days working visit to Muchinga province on Sunday, President Lungu will address a rally at Matumbo.
And President Edgar Lungu has urged Zambians to give him a fresh mandate in the August 11th general elections to enable him finish various developments projects his administration has embarked on.
President Lungu says he deserves another term in office because he is a working President committed to uplifting the living standards of every Zambian.
Speaking when he addressed a rally in Ilondola area in Chinsali on Saturday, President Lungu said he is finishing late President Michael Sata’s term and now needs a new mandate to complete his development agenda for the country.
President Lungu also called on voters to elect leaders who have their interests at heart and urged electorates to indicate their priority areas of projects government should implement in their areas.
At the same rally Local Government Minister Steven Kampyongo said President Lungu deserves another term of office because he has taken development to all parts of the country.
And Defence Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga urged people in Chinsali to give President Lungu and the PF a resounding victory in the August elections.
The President is on Saturday evening scheduled to meet business leaders at a dinner.
The president is Chinsali to hold a series of meetings as well as to inspect various developmental projects.
He is expected to return to Lusaka tomorrow after attending a church service at Lubwa mission and hold a rally in Matumbo area.
There you have a President, overusing his powers why not leave such issues to the ministry or FRA?
He doesn’t know what he is doing is lungu
Epitomises failure in my eyes.
Thanks
Bb2014
SmH, what a sham of a country! And you wonder why Africa is in a fkkking mess? How the holy sheet does a country gets to be run like this, is this some kind of a joke?
For Heaven sake Africa, this is year 2016, by almighty God, what the hell happened to your brains?
What a shame!
wow! this how we chakolwas pardon each other in bars over chibuku,,, just pardon no police no court!!!
Sometimes the President should learn to let LAWS rule! A President can’t be, nor should he try to be, the Justice system onto himself—JUSTICE and PUNISHMENT should be left to our Courts to deal with. If this unethical bugger of a businessman felt aggrieved by the decision of the FRA to terminate his contract, he should have taken his case to court. But what you can NOT do, as President, is go around issuing pardons arbitrarily.
This can only saw seeds of impunity among the elite who have the clout and means to directly access your office’s attention. There are plenty of citizens who can’t, and don’t have the connections, to take their cases/grievances directly to you as Head of State, so you have to be mindful of how they feel when they see you act this way towards a certain…
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Yesterday it was Kanene, today it is Lupando Munkonge, and tomorrow…? If everything meant to serve as a deterrent the President goes around and undoes them, how then do we expect people to learn and fear our country’s Laws? Zambia is NOT a Monarchy or Dictatorship where laws are at the whims of the King/Queen or the Dictator.
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This kind of behaviour by the President can be such a demotivating factor to people working so hard, day and night, trying to curb White Collar Crimes in Zambia. Because why should they care if every time they appear effective the President comes along and overrules them? Mr. President Sir, learn to back your Lieutenants in these Ministries (Ministers, deputy ministers, Police chiefs, PSs, extra) when they make decisions within the Laws of our Country. Especially when those decisions touch on issues meant to combat criminal behaviour among the elite. These people can and will sabotage the economy, and eventually complicate your Presidency, if you let them get away with “murder” just because they kneel before you asking for forgiveness.
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Just because there is a possibility of meali meal shortages in Kasama should NOT be a reason to warrant letting a criminal off the hook. A Criminal who caused meali meal shortages due to his own GREED and UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES to begin with—such criminals do NOT deserve your sympathy!
It is called EXECUTIVE powers baba. The President can do that in national interest.
You can full some people sometime but you can not full all the people all the time, campaigning while your friends are being denied of doing the same and you call it inspecting projects and using tax payers money on useless tours.
I hate all those who make others kneel before them as if they were some god! Its demeaning to human dignity and Zambia being the declared christian nation my understanding is we all know who we are supposed to kneel for!
Meno meno outgoing president of PF
Herein lies the problem even with so called new constitution clearly the president still holds too much power to control patronage
Not surprised Lupando has always been a crafty chap even while growing up he has always been like this
Comment:there goes a God fearing man, u really a chosen man and satanist those who suck blood and take souls of onnocent pipo.keep it dear.
Kikikiki, your words would be funny if they were not so sad! Breaking news! ECL has officially opened public pit latrines in Kanyama Ward! The year? 2016. Zambians continue wallowing in your ignorance. Do you know that only YOU can change the way you want to live your lives?
Viva PF…Vote ECL…a humble leader in conformity with the Christian Nation State
Will zambians queuing for meal meal eat “humble man or christian nation??”
What we need is coherent policies do shortages don’t happen in the first place. Not clueless leadership resulting in shortages which incurage criminality then embrace the criminals.
A man admits exporting maize illegally , is forgiven and shares a light moment with the President. This can only happen in Zambia. No wonder the country has become unmanageable. Nobody respects our laws any more. This man should be talking to the police not the president. By exporting maize illegaly, this man was depriving the Zambian government the money from export duties as well as contributing to the current food shortages. I can imagine KCM exporting copper illegally and then forgiven, WOW! Debeers exporting South African or Botswana diamonds illegally and then forgiven, WOW. Which planet is Zambia on?
It’s been happening even before. Some chap sold parastatals for a song and later it was said that was shareholder and wealthy.
Pardoned? No thanks it is just a reward that all thieves get for endorsing the PF, which in it self is the father and home party of Zambian thieves…Sic
Is it the president who suspended the licenses of millers and blacklisted them?? What criteria is used to lift the suspensions? Is it by kneeling down asking for pardon? Why should someone go straight to the president? Are there no systems/ procedures to be followed for lifting the suspensions of all millers?
A man who pardons criminals and will do anything for political mileage. What a pity for mother Zambia. He never stays in office costing the country millions of kwacah in his trips. He is the first president in Zambia to have 9 motorcades 1 staioned in each Province becuase of his movements today Kasama tomorrow Mongu, next day solwezi. There is no way the motorcades will reach these place in time to receive him.
All other Presidents only had 2 motorcades but not these joker who does not care about the economy and now wants to print money. All that PF cardes say humble not hard working or clever or vison person. Are we going to eat humble. Wake up that solgan will not work this time of humble tell us why there is no fuel, mealie meal costing K130, US$11.95 from K7.4 time he became…
When you are an agent of the devil, you can’t see any good in this. Bravo to ECL and Kasama milling. Dont listen to merchants of the devil who survive on blood and the suffering of God’s people. Mulekwatako insoni.
Ubupuba, is there anything spiritual here? JUST SIT YOU AR$E DOWN!
Ba Edgar bena kuwayawaya fye. All the criminals should time his trips to the province to getrude their pardon. Zambia inadequate the darkness withdrew chakolwa Lungu.
For once think you people the guy has apologized should he not be forgiven there is a shortage of milling plants in the area, you want mealie meal to be short in the area then you criticize.
Dont waste your words on UPND Cadres my Bro. They dont forgive. You know why they annoyed here? Its becoz they know that melie meal supply in Kasama will nomalise hence no vote for UPND. They would rather see people suffer just for political millage. You Demons!! Take you demonic wishes away from nothern province. Mwefipuba mwee.Ataseee. Whats wrong with forgiving each other if someone has apologized.
true @ask munkombwe…there is no stopping our friends and their perpetual criticism literally about everything…these people would kill!.
you criticise this man for asking for forgiveness and also the head of state for lifting the ban but it was 100% right for HH to apologize to Fred and his post paper.
Very inconsistencies president, he needs a Jameson later
@George, the cadres you are talking to have no iota of intelligence in their heads. Their brains cannot keep anything beyond five seconds in their memory. Every five seconds their brains erase any memory of anything they have done.
LOL…today especially i detect extreme frustration from our friends… hearts filled with hate, anger and deep frustration….
PF cadte Burnt for stealing 10kg of mealie meal this happened today in Garden compound…. President Lungu where are u please help us
This is a joke of a president. Are there laws in Zambia? What a disaster of nation. What sin did this wonderful country commit to be cursed with such a president? You can’t do things like this in 2016 and expect to make a progress. So tomorrow if someone shoots Kambwili and then sings a song of praise for Lungu. The murderer will be pardoned. It happened at a different level when that paedophile was pardoned then turned gender violence perpetrator. There is total disregard of the law by a lawyer occupying plot one. It’s all for political expediency.
Desperate, populist politics. The Kasama political paradigm has shifted and Lungu embarks on buying back support through “mealie meal”. What is his business “forgiving” a milling company? This is rudimentary – and surely there are procedures of dealing with this at a much lower and justiciable power level? Further, he is to attend a 50th secondary school jubilee and inspect some new low and medium cost houses. For goodness sake, where are the perm secs, district commissioners, ministers e.t.c? Does Lungu’s office chair itch? Put your bum down and do real national pressing work!
After going through your comments, its plain to see that Lungu is silly. Thanks
Comment: While your hatred continues, my president is smiling coz he knows he is winning. Come August all haters will be doomed.
Lungu stop your silly way of ruling zambia gbm will go for your throat and choke you with campaigns. Wait for the right time or else we will declare that campaigns have started. For sure you have no vision.
This man Lupando was cheated by his relative GBM who is a major share holder in the same milling, to start dealing in Illegal business. Am glad that Lupando swallowed his pride and decided to do the needful by apologizing to the president and the nation at large. Those that are against with the pardoning of the company, are agent of evil. I know GBM and his boss KACHEMA are panicking because their tricks have started back firing on them. Can we also know the other 3 millings that have remained closed so that they can be exposed as well. Well done presido, even the bible tells us to forgive our enemies especially those that shows remorse.
GBM doesn’t and never invested in this milling at any one time.
No words for EL presidency. Zambia is officially a Banana Republic.
am in kasama now there is no mealie meal the predo is right to pardon him
You in Kasama can you explain to us ‘where is the maize ?
Right, Lupando has been forgiven President, is he also going to forgive those people exporting maize and mealie meal in the Eastern Province? Is it a situation of a dog chasing it’s own tail?
Right, Lupando has been forgiven by the President, is he also going to forgive those people exporting maize and mealie meal in the Eastern Province? Is it a situation of a dog chasing it’s own tail?
This has got nothing to do with forgiving and purely political. We know the history of this affair and it is meant for settling scores. Abena Munkonge nimfumu and they have have been at loggerheads nabana ba mfumu. EL is simply trying to gain some political mileage in this issue and nothing special about it. No wonder he did not want to wait for this issue to be disposed off by the relevant authorities. It must be frustrating for those implementing the law when the head of state go round behaving like this.
Blood eaters are angry that in Kasama people will have mealie meal.
word!
When.anything happens, it has the blessings of Lungu.
The stripping of the young lady and beating of UPND during Youth Day were sponsored and protected by Lungu. That is why Police watched helplessly as a cognisable offence was being committed. Proof is that Lungu has keep quiet just like when cadres stormed Ndola Airport, urinated in journalist mouth, closed radio stations, gorged eyes in Sinda, beat opponents numerous times.
BUT Lungu expressly condemned alleged Frank Bwalya harassment, Choma and Monze fracas.
Lungu is violence warlord.
ECL pardoned General Kanene and made him Ambassador for Gender Violence. Shortly after that he assaulted one of his for refusing him a password to her item.
ECL pardoned George Mpombo. Shortly after that he carelessly left his gun for his teen son to use to kill his girlfriend & later behead her.
Common thieves like Dora Siliya whose teen son was found with Billions (old kwacha) are back in Govt to continue stealing but in a more clever way.
Now he’s pardoned a smuggler who is one of the people causing the current mealie-meal shortages.
How then do you deal with corruption and criminals if you can capriciously pardon a thief in full view of children? This man is a selfish thief and is a bad example to young people. Some bloggers who know this fella have even commented that this chap is has bad behavior since he was a child.He should have been arrested. I hope this was not a result of his pledge to support you in August.
I can not imagine that a sensible and normal minded Zambia would waste a vote on this imbecile Lungu after making Zambia such a lawless country without any sense of direction. What he did in Kasama with this Munkonge thief is just appalling and disgusting to say the least. Such an action can only happen in Zambia and under Lungu. The jet fuel on the ZAF plane wasted on this useless trip was such a waste of public money.