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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

Chiefs have urged Government to speed up the distribution of food to avert starvation saying most families in drought prone areas like Matabeleland, Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland provinces have run out of food.

The traditional leaders said Government should also drill boreholes to boost water supplies for both people and livestock.

In separate interviews, chiefs from Matabeleland region said the situation was dire as most families have run out of food while water sources for both people and livestock were drying up.

According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) report, approximately 5,5 million people are food insecure as a result of last cropping season’s poor rains.

President Mnangagwa has said no one would starve as Government has put in place measures to guarantee adequate food for both rural and urban families that are food insecure.

Chief Gampu from Tsholotsho district, Matabeleland North province said life has become unbearable for most families in his area as many of them harvested virtually nothing last season.

He said the food was being given to vulnerable people but the situation now demands that the aid be extended to every family that has run out of food.

Chief Gampu said Government should avail more grain to his area as an increased number of families are in urgent need of food aid.

He said there was also need to boost water supplies as water sources for both people and livestock were fast drying up.

“The situation is very bad. Our water bodies have dried up, our livestock no longer have water and pastures. We are forced to pump water for both domestic use and for our livestock,” said Chief Gampu.

He said chiefs should be allocated grain for emergencies as families in urgent need of food were coming to them for help.

Chief Mabhikwa from Lupane District in the same province said while they appreciated Government’s efforts in addressing the drought situation, more efforts were needed to comprehensively deal with the situation.

He said villagers also fear for their livestock.

“Government has continued to assist our people but the situation is getting worse by the day hence the need to increase amount of grain being distributed. Most people did not harvest anything last season and as such have run out of food,” said Chief Mabhikwa.

He said in order to save livestock, he  was encouraging his subjects to sell some of their livestock to raise money for supplementary feeding.

Chief Mathema from Gwanda in Matabeleland South province said people in his area are yet to receive food aid yet most families were in urgent need of food.

“We are yet to receive food aid from Government and I therefore call upon the authorities to speed up deliveries to my area,” said Chief Mathema.

He said there was also need to boost water supplies for livestock as his area was a livestock farming area.

Chief Sitauze from Beitbridge in the same province said Government should now extend food aid to all families in need of food aid as only the vulnerable were receiving food. He said Government should drill more boreholes because people were now travelling long distances to fetch water as most dams had dried up.

Chief Sitauze said farmers also wanted Government to assist them to provide supplementary feeding to their livestock as stockfeed was very expensive.

The chiefs said their counterparts in the Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland provinces were also saying most families in their areas had run out of food and therefore urgently need food aid

Last week, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said her Ministry was finalising processes to ensure that everyone receives food aid and some of the beneficiaries will be working on projects under the food for work programme. – @nqotshili