Harare(New Ziana) – Government should increase its monitoring systems on the roller meal subsidy programme to ensure millers do not prejudice consumers by selling substandard products, an industry official has said.
Over the weekend, social media was awash with pictures of roller meal that was less than the advertised package weight, sparking fears that the malpractice could be widespread and short-changing hard pressed consumers.
The pictures that circulated included a 10 kg roller-meal branded Blue-Ram which weighed just above 9 kilograms when placed on a scale, while another 5 kilogram bag was weighing 4.6 kilograms.
“We wake up to a 10kg which is actually 9.1kg and a 5kg that is actually 4.6kg. Is this daylight robbery or there is some viable scientific explanation why mealie meal spontaneously loses weight after being packaged?” queried Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Nick Mangwana on twitter.
In response to the pictures, Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) distanced itself from the alleged malpractice.
But, ironically, Blue-Ram Company is run by GMAZ vice chairman Masimba Dzomba.
“The policing and monitoring of weights of products is the sole responsibility of the Trade Measures Board (Ministry of Industry and Commerce), a creature of statute, established under the Trade Measures Act. Any aggrieved consumer, competitor or rival must report suspected cases to this board,” GMAZ tweeted.
Asked if this was not a common practice in the milling industry, another association of grain millers said such production “mistakes” should never occur as there were checks and balances to ensure quality and quantity control.
Small and Medium Millers Association chairman Davis Muhambi said in light of such malpractices, government should increase monitoring to ensure that the roller-meal subsidy was not abused.
“As far as we are concerned there is one miller who is involved in this saga. That is what the evidence we have suggests. As millers we know it is not a mistake, because there are numerous alarm bells which will sound to the miller if there is a genuine mistake leading to underweight,” he said.
“In this instance the miller involved is a senior member in the community of millers, he is the vice chairman of GMAZ. Surely by virtue of his standing, these basic milling fundamentals cannot evade him, leading to under weighted product going into the market.”
Muhambi added: “Government through Trade Measures should be more visible on the ground. As a precaution, we advise retailers and the consumer, where possible, they should randomly weigh bags of maize meal, report to the authorities, the miller and the police as this is a crime under section 33 of the trade measures act.”
Early this year, some millers were also accused of diverting subsidised roller meal to the black market and countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The roller meal subsidy programme was re-introduced by government to cushion consumers from high costs of the commodity.
But since its introduction, supply challenges have remained.
New Ziana
