Opposition MPs Concerned Over Partisan Distribution Of Drought Relief, Level Of Grain Reserves
With a food crisis looming in the country due to the current drought, CCC MPs have expressed fears that opposition supporters may be sidelined when the government commences food distribution in the countryside.
The Government last week said that 26 per cent of the country’s population is food insecure for the January to March period.
Matabeleland North is the most affected province with 42 per cent of its 830,000 population in urgent need of aid, compared to just 12 per cent in Mashonaland West province.
Cabinet Ministers have said food distribution is already underway in rural provinces and deny political interference in the process.
However, speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Chikanga MP Lynette Karenyi (CCC) expressed concerns that the government’s food distribution programme could be manipulated to benefit only ZANU PF supporters. She said, as quoted by ZimLive:
I want to find out from the Minister, what the policy is to ensure that people who are conducting the registration process are not going to use political party lines.
Although the law says the village heads are supposed to be apolitical, people who may be linked to the party I belong to will not be registered.
What is the policy about ensuring that the registration is not politicised?
In response, the Deputy Minister of Public Service and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha maintained that “no one is supposed to starve.” She said:
We distribute, we don’t consider the political affiliation of a recipient. We distribute to people belonging to other parties, food is going to those areas because the president is saying no one is supposed to starve.
It means everyone, not ZANU PF members only. So, when we are distributing, we are giving to everyone.
We are leaving no one. It is going to go to all corners of the country.
Mbizo MP Corban Madzivanyika (CCC) appeared to challenge the government’s claim that there is enough grain in stock to meet national needs. Said Madzivanyika:
Just last week or two weeks ago, the parliamentary portfolio committee on lands committee on lands, agriculture, fisheries, water and rural development had a meeting with the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe which indicated that they have enough grain reserves.
A week later, the committee travelled across the country, in particular to Norton and Banket, but then we realised that there were no grain reserves in those areas.
Public Service and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima denied claims the country’s grain reserves were empty saying: “A person cannot conclude after visiting two storage facilities and then conclude for the whole country”.
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