By Esther Nkhoma in Chipata
Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr Lewis Mwape has been dismissed from his position, weeks after a MakanDay investigation linked him to a controversial maize-buying point in Chipata District where farmers alleged they were charged fees to sell their maize.
Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Paul Thole confirmed the termination of Dr Mwape’s contract, describing the decision as “regrettable”, but did not disclose the reasons.
It remains unclear whether the dismissal is connected to the maize-buying controversy at Liondo Village, where Dr Mwape previously acknowledged helping to facilitate an arrangement involving the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
MakanDay attempted to reach Dr Mwape for comment through his known telephone numbers, but his phones were switched off.
In an earlier investigation, MakanDay revealed that maize was being purchased from farmers at Liondo Village, in the Luangeni area of Chipata District, despite the location not appearing on the official list of FRA buying depots examined by the newsroom.
The operation involved the use of FRA-marked bags, official receipts and a weighing scale reportedly moved from the established Feni Depot.
During the investigation, Dr Mwape acknowledged helping to facilitate the buying arrangement alongside FRA officials and a United Party for National Development (UPND) official.
He explained that the initiative was intended to make it easier for farmers in the area to sell their maize, while confirming that Liondo was not registered as an official FRA depot.
However, questions arose over who had authorised the operation, under what arrangement it was operating and whether the movement of FRA equipment to the site had been approved.
The investigation also documented allegations that farmers were being charged to sell their maize at Liondo.
One farmer who delivered 200 bags told MakanDay that he paid K1,500 to officials at the site.
MakanDay could not independently establish who received the money, what the payment was intended for or whether FRA had authorised the collection.
The alleged charges raised concerns because farmers are ordinarily not required to pay fees to sell their maize to FRA.
Members of the Feni depot committee also questioned the movement of a weighing scale to Liondo, saying they were unaware of the location operating as an officially recognised sub-depot.
A buyer alleged to have been coordinating maize purchases at Liondo told MakanDay that he was acting on instructions he attributed to FRA Eastern Province Marketing Coordinator Clyde Muunza.
Muunza initially said he was unaware of the buying point.
At the time of the investigation, FRA headquarters in Lusaka had not provided a comprehensive explanation of the arrangement.
Dr Mwape’s dismissal now comes while several questions raised by the investigation remain unanswered.
These include who authorised the Liondo operation, who approved the movement of FRA equipment from Feni Depot, whether farmers were charged without authorisation and who received the money allegedly collected.
Although the timing of Dr Mwape’s dismissal brings renewed attention to the controversy, MakanDay has not established any connection between the termination of his contract and the Liondo operation.
The government has not publicly disclosed the grounds for his dismissal, while FRA has yet to fully account for the maize-buying arrangement and the allegations of payments by farmers.
