Chaponda snubs House maize probe

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda yesterday failed to appear before the Parliamentary inquiries into the controversial maize procurement from Zambia.

In an interview, the minister, who was scheduled to appear before the committee alongside Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe, said he saw the communication late.

The parliamentary committee, under Section 60 of the Constitution, has powers to summon anyone, including Cabinet ministers.

His failure to attend the meeting comes barely a week after he defied a court order restraining him from conducting his duties as a minister. Last week he travelled to Germany on reported official duties.

Yesterday, chairperson of the joint committee presiding over the inquiry, Joseph Chidanti Malunga, said Chaponda’s failure to appear was frustrating to the committee but he will likely be summoned again.

“We will look at the Standing Orders and see what is within our mandate. We are unhappy our work has been disrupted, but we will go ahead and do all we can. We will still go to Zambia and follow up on this matter. We are likely to summon him again to come and appear before us.

“If he doesn’t appear, we will be guided by the law,” he said.

Malunga insisted that the committee had received an assurance from Chaponda’s secretary that the minister will appear before the committee. n