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By Miles B. Sampa, MP
My wife knows that I generally prefer texting to voice calls and hence when she calls, then I know that it’s urgent and have to pick the call instantly.
So about 5pm yesterday my phone rung from her when I was in the outskirts of Matero. ” We have run out of mealie meal and not even a little for supper tonight”. Big emergency this one was especially for ny own sake as rice or ama chips my kids love gets me hungry again in less than an hour. I stopped all was doing in Matero and drove towards home to purchase a bag of ‘5 fingers’ ingredients.
I then thought to myself that this was my opportunity to access the cheap ZNS controlled mealie meal produced by Kalonga Milling and sold at a fixed price of K230 per 25 KG bag. I trekked from one ShopRite to another in Lusaka and they did not have it in stock. Then my wife informed me of an Indian ran shop that had earlier in the day. I drove there but only found Pembe milling, Nyimba milling, Africa Milling and National Milling breakfast pegged at around K370 per 25 KG bag.
I then asked the owner what happened to the cheap ZNS meal meal they were reported to have had earlier in the day. ” My brother; as soon as it arrived; was bought within 15 minutes. We did not even have time to offload it into the shop and had to sell it off the delivery truck outside as there a lot of buyers outside to it as soon as arrived”.
I then asked him how the people knew he was going to receive the cheap ZNS ubunga. ” ..it seems just there at ZNS some people leak to buyers where the next delivery is scheduled and so they dash in advance to wait. “.
I asked how he makes orders. ” We have to deposit money in advance in a Kalonga Milling bank account and then we called a day or two later to go collect from their production plant. Today we only received 300 bags despite having paid for more “.
So I just bought the Nyimba Milling one at K370 for my home. As walked out I could not help but tell the Indian shop owners (in Millie’s Voice) ..”Kooma Viintu Vavuta”. He burst out laughing and said “maningi Honourable “.
The ZNS cheap mealie meal idea is good for the nation but only to the extent that it is available to consumers. As at now it is mostly only available in virtual zoom form or accesed only via social media pics.
MBS08.05.2024
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