The on-going campaign against ZAMBEEF by the Post Newspaper and its partners in the PF regime has led

to meat companies owned by UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema sale more beef and thereby earn huge profits. Following the accusation that the beef products imported by ZAMBEEF contain aromatic aldehyde, a chemical, which the Post and PF say, is used to embalm dead bodies; Zambeef withdrew all its imported beef products from shelves across the country. ZAMBEEF withdrew the products to enable the PF Government fully investigate the allegations. Zambeef also sent samples for testing to internationally accredited laboratories in South Africa and Germany and insisted that its products were fit for human consumption. But the Post newspaper already has the results of the investigations and as expected, the claim that their assertions are true. But the withdrawal of ZAMBEEF products has directly and hugely benefited Hakainde Hichilema. Hakainde Hichilema is the second largest supplier of beef products in Zambia. The first is ZAMBEEF. But now that ZAMBEEF has been targeted, more than 60 per cent of the products withdrawn and consumers generally suspicious of ZAMBEEF products due the malicious campaign; the beef products from Hichilemas farms are in top demand. According to information released by president Michael Sata ealier this year, Hichilema has ranches holding over 90,000 cattle in Central and Southern provinces valued at over K360 billion. The UPND leader has four ranches in Choma operating as HH farm and Blukes farm which has 20,000 animals and another three ranches in Kalola, Chibombo district, property numbers F/1604/A, F/2270/A and F/9184 with thousands of animal among other ranches. From these ranches, Hichilema supplies butcheries and abattoirs along the line of rail with steady beef.

In a feat of jealousy and bitterness, Sata told the country that Hichilema has more cattle than all the farmers in Southern province put together. He said he was surprised that Hichilema was richer than people who have worked in formal employment for many years. Ignorance is a serious disease. A check by the Watchdog in outlets in Lusaka and the Copperbelt showed that in the past few days, beef products from Hichilemas farms have been running out of stock due to popular demand. Some quarters of society believe that ZAMBEEF has been targeted because Sata and Fred Mmembe think Hichilema owns ZAMBEEF.