Malawi Veep Chilima dresses down critics over maize crisis

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Saulos Chilima

Malawi’s vice president Saulos Chilima has taken a swipe at critics from opposition parties in the country who claimed that government has not bought enough maize for Malawians.

The development comes at a time when opposition parties have expressed concern over the maize crisis arguing that government tends to give empty promises to citizens on maize availability in the country.

The parties added that the ruling Democratic Progress Party (DPP) must not fool Malawians again on the maize crisis with promises that are yet to be implemented.

Saulos Chilima
Saulos Chilima speaks tough on maize crisis in Malawi.

But speaking at a political rally in Mchinji district on Sunday, Chilima said the country has enough in stock for the citizens who are food insecure following bad weather that hit the country during the 2015/16 agricultural season.

Chilima added that government has plans to buy maize for the next agricultural seasons as reports reveal that the country might also experience natural disasters that are to affect the agricultural sector in the 2016/17 farming period.

He further assured people in the country that ‘no one will die of hunger’ as government plans to transport the staple grain from national silos to satellite depots of ADMARC.

Nearly half of Malawi’s population is food insecure following EI-Nino weather that led to persistent droughts in most parts of the country during the last growing season.

Earlier this year, Malawi government also assured citizens that maize was available as the country was buying a lot from neighbouring countries.

However, media reports revealed ‘serious’ shortage of maize in the country as people were queuing for days to buy food in ADMARC depots.