The South African government has welcomed Zimbabwe’s decision to lift the ban on the importation of maize and other grains.
South Africa’s reaction comes at a time when vigilante groups in the neighbouring country are conducting raids targeting foreigners and blocking them from accessing health facilities claiming they are straining the country’s national resources and taking their jobs.
In a statement recently, South Africa Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen welcomed the Harare’s move to lift the ban on maize and other grains’ importation.
“We welcome the formal decision by the Zimbabwean authorities to lift the ban on the importation of maize and other grains.
“This move marks a return to sound economic principles essential for the prosperity and stability of the southern Africa region,” he said.
The Zimbabwean government recently lifted the ban on the importation of maize and other grains, as gazetted under Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025.
Steenhuisen hailed the move as a return to sound economic principles essential for the prosperity and stability of the Southern Africa region.
Indications are that exports stabilise local prices and the Zimbabwean market plays an important role for both white and yellow maize.
“This is an extremely welcome development that underscores the collective responsibility we share in ensuring food sufficiency,” Steenhuisen said.
“The agricultural sector thrives on predictability and efficiency, and restrictive trade measures, while sometimes intended to protect local producers, too often lead to market distortions that ultimately harm the consumer.”
He said the formal removal of the ban was crucial for food security and consumer welfare across the region.
“By allowing the free flow of maize, particularly white maize that our people on the continent consume as a staple food, we are sending a clear signal of confidence to our agri-businesses and exporters, encouraging the investment and expanded production that benefits all in the Southern African Development Community member States,” he said.
“It strengthens regional integration and ensures that surplus-producing nations can readily meet the needs of their neighbours.”
The South African minister stated that the Department of Agriculture remained committed to collaborating with all regional partners to promote fair, open, and efficient trade in agricultural products, which is the cornerstone of sustainable growth and poverty alleviation in the region.
(News Day)
