Zimpapers Logo

Bianca Mlilo Chronicle Reporter
BULK Commodities Cash and Carry, a Bulawayo wholesaler, has come under fire for allegedly selling expired products to the market.

Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson Cde Dennis Ndlovu alleged Bulk Commodities Cash and Carry imports expired flour, mealie-meal and rice meant for stock feed, repackages it and supplies major supermarkets in the city.

He said the repackaged products either do not have expiry dates or the dates are hand written on the packages.

The company yesterday dismissed the issue as a smear campaign by a disgruntled party.

When The Chronicle visited the company’s wholesale outlet, located along Basch Street and 11th Avenue yesterday, members of the National Youth Service were guarding it.

Tonnes of the “stock feed” were housed in the Pista Enterprises warehouse at Renkini Bus Terminus.

CCZ regional manager Mr Comfort Muchekeza said: “If proper investigations are carried out there could be more. We’d like to urge particularly the city health department that they should be at the forefront (of the investigations) because they’re the ones who license and inspect premises.

“This also involves the Ministry of Agriculture (Mechanisation and Irrigation Development) because we’re dealing with imported products. They’re the ones who issue import licences; they should make sure the imported products are within the required standards.”

Mr Silani Mtshiya, the chief executive officer of the Affirmative Action Group, said people should not compromise the health of others for a paltry amount to line their pockets while AAG vice president Roy Sibanda called on the Government to look into the matter and put an end to it.

“If it means this business will close, let it be,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) were fruitless.

A secretary who only identified herself as S Muwonwe asked to be emailed questions so that she forwards them to her boss, the director of legal and corporate services Ms Florence Jambwa.

Ms Jambwa had not responded by the time of going to Press.

Bulawayo City Council’s senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu also did not respond to e-mailed questions.

A police spokesperson for Bulawayo province said they were not aware of the issue.

By midday yesterday, the warehouse and wholesale outlets had been closed down, allegedly on the orders of Mr Imran Shazhad, the owner of the company and the City Health Inspector.

Bulk Commodities Cash and Carry is embroiled in a legal wrangle with Double Fresh Bakery, owned by city businessman Mr Mnothisi Nsingo.

The company’s legal secretary, Mr Nqobani Sithole, said Mr Nsingo was behind the “misinformation” about the company.

He said Mr Nsingo illegally led a group of youths and journalists into the company premises.

“For your own information, the stock that reporters took pictures of is rain damaged. It is not for sale. We are keeping it for insurance purposes. We can’t dispose of it before our claims are settled,” said Mr Sithole.

He said the stock that was photographed was a tiny fraction of his company’s produce.

“There is about seven tonnes of damaged flour and about 340 tonnes of perfect flour. We have only four tonnes of rain affected rice and about 2,900 tonnes of good rice. Why did they choose to target the wrong stock?” he asked.

“As we speak, Zimra, the police and council health inspectors were here and they gave us a clean bill for operations. The warehouse that was shut down by rowdy youths is now open.”

Mr Sithole said Mr Nsingo was trying to avoid paying about $30,000 that he owes Mr Shahzad.

According to Press reports, the two have a long running dispute in which Mr Nsingo alleges that Mr Shahzad supplied his Double Fresh Bakery with contaminated flour.

Mr Nsingo alleges the flour caused him to make a loss of more than $18,000 after his customers rejected his bread.

Bulk commodities insists there was nothing wrong with the flour as it was supplied to 22 other bakeries, which did not complain about it.

“He failed to return the flour for a possible refund, meaning he could have used it all. Besides, his claim came two months after he had been supplied,” said Mr Sithole.