ZNS Commander Refutes Claims of GMO Mealie Meal Sales
Lieutenant General Maliti Solochi, Commander of the Zambia National Service (ZNS), has categorically dismissed allegations circulating among the public that the Service has been involved in selling genetically modified (GMO) mealie meal in the Zambian market.
Lt Gen Solochi, during a media interview, pledged the institution’s willingness to subject its Eagles brand mealie meal to laboratory tests to dispel any doubts.
Challenging those spreading the narrative, Lt Gen Solochi invited individuals to pick the Eagles brand randomly from any shop or milling plant and engage any laboratory of their choice for testing.
He emphasized the ZNS’s commitment to meeting the cost of the procedure and urged transparency by involving the media in the testing process.
“We are called the Zambia National Service because our mandate is to be of service to the nation regardless of their political inclination, and therefore we will not be such careless as to go against the law of the land and preference of Zambians,” asserted the ZNS Commander.
Lt Gen Solochi clarified that ZNS’s import permit, issued by the government, was specifically for already milled mealie meal from South Africa intended for export to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He encouraged verification through documentation, highlighting that the transportation of the export commodity was handled by a local company called Time Tracking Limited, available for further confirmation.
“The mealie meal which is being imported from South Africa is strictly for export, and ZRA as well as Time Tracking Limited documentation can attest to the fact that the quantities entering the country through Kanzungula border are the same quantities being received at Kasumbalesa, which we eventually get into the neighboring country,” Lt Gen Solochi stressed.
He pointed out that the brand for the export market is clearly labeled in black to distinguish it from the locally consumed mealie meal, labeled in green.
The ZNS Commander concluded by emphasizing the apolitical nature of the institution and its dedication to serving the Republic with diligence, expressing a desire not to be drawn into political battles.
Lt Gen Solochi urged individuals to verify information before spreading falsehoods and encouraged a culture of truth-telling.
Source: ZANIS
