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Zimbabwe: Malawi Faces Grain Shortages After Giving Mugabe Maize

WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.

Original Post Date: 2007-12-01 Time: 00:00:00  Posted By: JoAn

Submitted by Bernie in Perth:

Corruption seems to spread from Mugabe like a rotting carcass in a water hole.

The story:

SW Radio Africa (London)
22 November 2007

Henry Makiwa

Malawi faces severe food shortages after the government of President Bingu wa Mutharika gave thousands of tonnes of maize to the Mugabe regime, which are yet to be paid for.

Our investigations reveal that maize has become scarce on the Malawian market and where it can be found, prices have increased three-fold despite last year’s good crop yield. Last year Malawi declared a bumper harvest but now people are angry with Mutharika for emptying the country’s grain reserves by giving the food to Zimbabwe.

But grain shortages have brought increases in maize prices. A 50 kilogram bag of maize has shot up in price from 600 kwacha ($US 4) to

2 800 kwacha ($US 17) in the past two months.

Details of the maize deal are shrouded in secrecy, as Zimbabwe is not listed on the debtors’ records of the body responsible for grain provisions, the Malawi National Food Reserves Agency. This is despite obvious evidence that grain was exported to Zimbabwe.

The development has sown much public resentment for Mutharika, after further revelations that he was secretly supplying fuel to Mugabe. The fuel deal has reportedly led to severe diesel shortages in the midlands and northern parts of Malawi. The price of fuel has also recently risen by 20% with subsequent similar increases in public transport fares.

Most of Malawi’s 11.9 million people earn less than $US 1 a day.

Public opinion is swelling against Mutharika, after revelations that oil tankers destined for Malawi are being diverted to Zimbabwe in a top-level deal between the two leaders. The arrangement is meant to provide a cushion to Zimbabwe’s acute fuel shortages. Mugabe’s poor economic and political policies have meant that the country faces serious food and fuel shortages.

Kamlepo Kalua of the Malawi Demcratic Party accused Mutharika of jeopardising the welfare of his countryman in support of the tyrannical dictatorship of Mugabe.

Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Food, Agriculture and Rural Issues
Malawi
Sustainable Development
Zimbabwe

Kalua said: “If all the progressive forces of democracy in the world are opposing Mugabe’s corrupt governance, abuse of power and disregard of human rights, what duty is it for a poor little country like Malawi to support him.

“The people here are starving and suffering from fuel shortages because their leader has taken it upon himself to aid a pariah state. We are obviously angry especially because this is being done in secrecy without the knowledge of parliament or the public at large, so the people need answers from Mutharika.”

Mutharika’s late wife was Zimbabwean and the couple owned a farm in Zimbabwe. A known ally of Mugabe, Mutharika launched an anti-corruption drive when he came into power in 2004 but the opposition in Malawi now accuse him of being as crooked as Bakili Muluzi and Kamuzu Banda before him.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200711230221.html