Muchima please mention those behind poisonous substances

By Daily Revelation Editor

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has confirmed that  400 dogs have died in the last month due to suspected Aflatoxin poisoning detected in maize meal and dog feed.

Health minister Elijah Muchima has disclosed that the Ministry and other stakeholders conducted sampling of 10 milling companies with 25 samples collected and 13 samples out of 25 tested positive for Aflatoxin levels exceeding standards.
Muchima said these toxins posed severe health risks to both humans and animals.

Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Muchima said in humans, the toxins could cause liver diseases, immune system suppression and other chronic health issues.

This is very saddening indeed, and we are sure that as we speak more animals are actually in line waiting for their deaths. And we are sure that a lot more human beings will be affected and possibly even die on accounting that they are still consuming the mealie-meal which Muchima did not mention.

It is actually surprising that he has talked about these dangerous findings without actually mentioning the specific maize meal and dog feed he is referring to, including mentioning the companies involved in the production of these harmful substances.

We are actually wondering why Muchima even called a press briefing in the first place, if not to give the public full information on not just the sampling done but the specific names of the products involved so that the public could take precautions. But if Muchima is just going to appear to give out information that induces more punic and fear in the public then what has he achieved? Why is he hiding the information on the specific names, brands and companies involved in spreading these harmful products? As speak, there are many other Zambians who are feasting on these harmful products, and by the time Muchima will come out to mention the names, if ever he will ever gather the courage to do the same, how many people will have died by that time?

Muchima is taking Zambians for granted actually, thinking they are stupid that he can just appear before them and give them this saddening news thinking they will just take it without raising questions. This is truly taking people for granted. Any minister or public official who handles matters in the manner Muchima has, is actually not fit to hold public office. What he has done is not befitting of someone holding public office. Isn’t public office meant to safeguard and promote public interest? Was Muchima appointed minister to gather up information so that he could go with the same to the public to scare them with it? Or was he appointed to conduct the kind of sampling his Ministry did in order to go before the public with full disclosure of the information before them?

You conducted sampling of 10 milling companies with 25 samples collected and 13 samples out of 25 tested positive for Aflatoxin levels exceeding standards. Will you tell the Zambians which of those 13 samples which tested and came out positive? From which product did those samples come from and who produces the same? Simple! In Hakainde Hichilema’s voice.

Will President Hichilema in his much acclaimed methodical style allow his minister to threaten the public with damaging information from his Ministry’s sampling, while withholding critical information that will help the public make informed decisions? If he will allow Muchima to persist on this path, then he too shares in his minister’s omission.