ZAMBEEF Should not be blamed

After loudly proclaiming that ZAMBEEF meat contained aromatic aldehyde, used in confectionary, Zambian Health Minister, Dr. Joseph Kasonde was back in Parliament last thursday for the graduation of the substance from its current state to formaldehyde, a chemical used in embalming human bodies without proper justification. Having watched Honourable, Dr. Joseph Kasonde on local televisions delivering his statement, I am made to conclude that the sins of Members of Parliament(MP) is to properly understand what is before them or maybe they are just ignorant of what is happening. This is because I do not come to this charge lightly, but ask you to look at the initial proclamations regarding the Zambeef in local media reports revealed that the respective meat products were laced with chemicals that were used to embalm dead bodies was an undertaking of the local authorities. Surprisingly, one local authority, Lusaka City Council-LCC-through its public relations Officer, Henry Kapata vehemently refused the authority had carried any such tests. Its’ clear that ours politicians are occasionally lapsing into mild hypocrisy and subsequently allowed Minister Kasonde to deliver his statement with easy without questioning the legitimacy of those results. Secondly, a cautious approach should have been applied in dealing with matter owing to the number of our citizens employed in various ZAMBEEF outlets of this indigenous investment surely economic distortion awaits, us a country for been careless in addressing the problem at hand rather than the wreak sweet-sounding havoc by Minister Kasonde. I therefore, proposal that dialogue should be the ultimate destination in resolving this impasse. I am conversely, optimistic that the truth will dawn among members of the executive by the time most of them woke-up to reality, the damage would have been done. It’s clear that economic vandals are succeeding by keeping the public ignorant of their actions by a compliant press and timid adversaries especially that the most basic function of every government is to protect the people and their property. When the reports of the presence of aromatic aldehyde emerged enlightened Zambians refused to subscribe to this cheaper political illusions and safe guarded their investment in ZAMBEEF and humbly offered explanations admitting the presence of the substance in most foods like cooking oil, fermented edibles like bread & chibuku. Nevertheless, the chances of wreaking havoc to health are slim or none at all because its dosage that makes the poison and only excessive consumption of aldehydes or formaldehyde can cause cancer, hypertension. Additionally, it is unfair to blame Zambeef at this stage because the imported meat that had been impounded at the boarder points was void of aromatic aldehyde but what really happened to the meat that disappeared? Is it the meat that government took for testing abroad and where was this investigation done and the credibility of the institution are some of the questions that Minister Kasonde failed to address? Could it be that contamination was locally induced? by who? Is the outcome, as highlighted by the Minister of Health, the final verdict? We have all been eating their meat for decades now. Even our parent did. But, did anyone die? Remain Steadfast and alert Zambians and pay no subscription to cheaper political illusions and I call on all of you Zambians to summon sobriety and not emotions in dealing with this matter.