Swaziland bans cheaper SA maize imports amid worsening drought
The Swaziland government is enforcing a ban on buying and importing cheaper maize from South Africa amid worsening drought conditions in that country, the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) said on Wednesday.
In a statement the SSN said the ban could not have come at a worse time as the drought continues to spread across the Southern African region.
SSN spokesperson Lucky Lukhele said: “Food prices have escalated in Swaziland and the country’s staple food, maize meal, in particular has seen a 66 percent price hike since the beginning of the year”.
He said Swazis living close to the border know it is “much cheaper” to purchase mealie-meal from South Africa.
A 50kg bag of maize in a shop in Manzini costs R530 compared to R280 across the Oshoek border in South Africa.
Lukhele said the price difference was “scandalous”.
He said Swaziland’s agricultural controlling authority NAMBoard has banned all purchasing of mealie-meal from South Africa.
Lukhele said the NAMBoard, however, insists the ban has always existed and the only change was that it was being enforced.
“This is the worst time to enforce such an unjust law,” said Lukhele, especially during such a time when the government “should be relaxing all laws that worsen the economic impact of drought on local households”.
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