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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

GOVERNMENT has set today as the deadline for communities to complete the identification of individuals who qualify for the food relief support programme at grass root level and the 35 000 village heads have been instructed to lead the process.

Following the 2023/24 cropping season’s poor rains, most communities are food-insecure.

President Mnangagwa recently declared this year’s El Nino-induced drought a State of Disaster to enable the Government to mobilise the required resources to import food to cover the deficit.

In an interview yesterday, National Council of Chiefs president Chief Mtshane Khumalo from Bubi District in Matabeleland North said data collection was continuing within communities and commended the grassroots approach to identify those in need of food relief.

“The process has been ongoing and is being done at village level where those in need of food aid are identified. The people know those who are in need of food relief so no one will be left behind,” said Chief Mtshane.

He said last month some families who were in the last food relief database were given food but this did not cover all the villages. 

Chief Nkalakatha from Nkayi, in Matabeleland North said most families will this year need food aid given the severity of the ElNino-induced drought.

“Most people didn’t harvest anything. The situation is dire and we are happy that the identification of those who require food aid is community-centred. Village heads are the ones who stay with the people and as such they know the families that need food relief,” he said. 

Chief Masendu from Bulilima, Matabeleland South, said traditional leaders were finalising the data collection exercise with some of them ready to submit the figures. He said communities are experiencing the worst drought.

“In the past even when there was a drought, some families harvested paddy melons (amajodo) but this year nothing was harvested,” he said.

Chief Masendu said the food relief programme should start as soon as possible to avert starvation.

“We have people who didn’t harvest anything last year and again this year so they urgently need food,” he said.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Cde July Moyo, told Parliament that the Government has started compiling a database of those that require food aid.

He said his ministry is working with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to come up with the new database, which will be village-centric.

“Every village head is required by law to call a village assembly and we have said all the 35 000 village heads should immediately call these village assemblies to help identify those that need food aid. 

“This is going on right now as I speak, we have given them 15 April as the deadline to complete the exercise,” said Minister Moyo. 

Minister Moyo said as a result of El-Nino-induced drought, more people will require food aid this year compared to last year when some areas recorded a bumper harvest.

He said in view of the dire situation, there is a need for collaborative efforts in the transportation of food relief. 

“We therefore need everyone to be involved and assist in the transport logistics including Members of Parliament because the President has declared the drought a State of Disaster,” said Minister Moyo.

Government has also been conducting trial runs to ensure that the food distribution process covers everyone and village complaints desks will be established.

“We have been testing this on the ground to see whether it is working. So, I have been to Bubi, Mangwe, Buhera and Zvishavane just to see what is happening with regards to people’s participation,” said Minister Moyo. 

He said the complaints desk will be manned by the village heads, women and youths. — @nqotshili