BULAWAYO — Deputy Prime minister, Thokozani Khupe has accused Zanu PF of frustrating the grain loan scheme by refusing assistance from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other food aid agencies willing to transport maize to areas in need of help.
Report by Nqobani Ndlovu
Khupe alleged the former ruling party through Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development minister Joseph Made, was politicising food aid for the party’s benefit.
The government early this year unveiled a grain loan scheme where villagers are given free maize to avert starvation after their crops were declared a write-off in most parts of the country following a dry spell during the last cropping season. However, villagers in some parts of the country are yet to receive the food aid owing to transport problems being faced by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
Khupe said the government had no funds to transport the food aid but donors were willing to assist.
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“The government has no funds to transport maize to most parts of the country hit by hunger. NGOs and the World Food Programme have offered to assist us with free transportation of grain to our people facing starvation under the government’s grain loan scheme,” she said. “But Made is yet to take up the offer. We talk about the food situation almost on a weekly basis but we still have the same problem of transportation. Why they are refusing to take up the offer is surprising.”
Provinces facing acute food shortages include parts of Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland South and North and areas Midlands. “I would like to think that Made could be doing that so that Zanu PF can continue controlling government’s food distribution programmes around the country,” said Khupe. “And that is not good at all because we want everybody to get food.” Made could not be reached for comment last week.
His deputy Seiso Moyo refused to comment on the issue. Recently, Moyo alleged that Zanu PF and GMB officials were cashing on the transport problems by demanding money from starving villagers in rural Matabeleland.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has indicated that more than one million Zimbabweans are currently in need of food aid following last year’s poor harvests.
