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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Bureau
THE Chinese government has donated $5 million to Zimbabwe to enhance food security programmes in the country.

The money was availed through the World Food Programme (WFP).

This emerged when Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Huang Ping and WFP Representative and Country Director, Mr Eddie Rowe paid a courtesy call to Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Jason Machaya.

Mr Rowe said the United Nations agency had identified key production assets such as water bodies for funding.

He said some of the projects that would enable sustainable food production include water harvesting.

“China through our multilateral platforms has availed $ 5 million to WFP Zimbabwe.

“This money will go towards livelihood enhancement, resilient building and capacity enhancement. We received $1 million for flood victims but we only used 40 percent of that money to buy food for the victims and the remainder we used it for other programmes that ensure sustainable food production and livelihood enhancement,” he said.

The Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe said China was also drilling 300 boreholes in different parts of the country to ensure access to safe drinking water.

He said China was also going to donate 12 000 tonnes of rice to Zimbabwe even though the country realised a bumper harvest.

“Zimbabwe and China enjoy cordial relations dating back to the time of the liberation struggle. We are sinking 300 boreholes in Zimbabwe that should be completed by the end of this year and we are donating 12 000 tonnes of maize,” he said.

Minister Machaya said the donation will go a long way towards fulfilling Government’s effort to avert hunger and alleviate poverty as enunciated Zim -Asset.