Chairperson for Mzimba South NGO network, Teckson Amadu, told Zodiak Online that  two trucks loaded with Admarc maize were intercepted at the Mzimba turn-off on the M1 road and were forced back to the deport where the maize was off-loaded.

According to Amadu, they got a tip that two trucks were at the Admarc depot to transfer maize to other areas. 

Amadu said members of the network and the community in the presence of police officers tried to reason with Admarc officials at the depot who turned down their demands saying top officials had directed the transfer.

“After we received the tip we rushed to the scene trying to talk to officials at Admarc deport as this did not go well with us and other members of the community bearing in mind that currently the hunger situation is not all that good in Mzimba.

“People are struggling to buy the grain and every time you pass by the depot you see long queues of people trying to access the staple,” said Amadu.

Amadu said reasoning with Admarc officials to reverse the decision did not help as they were bent at transferring the maize.

He said the officials went on to release the two trucks.

But CSO members together with the community and security from police followed the trucks which were intercepted at the junction to Mzimba on the M1 road.

The two trucks registration number CZ 4461 and CZ 4376 were forced back to offload the maize at the deport after a confrontation with the officials.

“You might be aware that currently people are only allowed to access only 15 kilograms of maize which might not be enough to carter for large families,” he said.

Admarc officials were not readily available to comment on the matter.

Recently, Admarc spokesperson Agnes Chikoko said the maize was being moved for safe keeping. 

The incident comes barely a week after communities around Nkhwazi Admarc deport in Mchinji also restrained the company from transferring maize out of the district to an unknown destination.