The Civil Society in the Democratic Republic of Congo have raised an alarm against ongoing smuggling of toxic Zambian maize brands into the country through the Kasumbalesa border using fraudulent channels.
The Congolese government, through the Ministry of Foreign Trade have banned the importation of a category of maize flour brands from neighboring Zambia into the national territory of the DR Congo.
At least 8 brands of maize flour or mealie meal have destroyed in Zambia due to a toxic substance identified as Aflatoxin which was discovered in the brands.
“Economic operators do not understand. They are now changing the bags and pills of these toxic brands, using the same products unfit for consumption and bringing them into the country and selling them to the population,” denounced this Friday Le Grand Mbelenge of the civil society consultation framework of Kasumbalesa.
Meanwhile, security measures have since been put in place at the Kasumbalesa border, which links the DR Congo to Zambia, with a commission set up to intercept and put these toxic maize flour brands out of circulation.
“Despite the barrier erected to control the vehicles transporting flour but unfortunately, these practices of changing pills and bags by putting these same unsuitable products in them have not stopped. We ask the Congolese State to do everything possible to detect the stocks of toxic flour that are in circulation or still held by certain economic operators, buy them back and destroy them to safeguard the health of the population,” added Le Grand Mbelenge, head of the civil society consultation framework of Kasumbalesa.
A total of 8 brands of flour from Zambia are banned in the DRC because of their toxicity. These include:
Africa milling
Roller meal and breakfast
Farm feed super dog meal
Continental milling
Shabco milling
Girad milling
Busu milling
Star milling.
