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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

VICE President Kembo Mohadi has directed the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to expedite the distribution of grain to rural communities to ensure food security.

The VP said it was critical for Government to take care of people, especially those whose incomes have been affected by the ongoing lockdown guidelines.

VP Mohadi made the directive in response to a plea by Beitbridge East MP Cde Albert Nguluvhe who said most people in his constituency were food insecure.

The Vice President visited Beitbridge last Friday to assess the state of Covid-19 quarantine and isolation facilities in the border town.

“I have heard your pleas; let me assure you that nobody will die of hunger,” he said.

“We have since directed the minister responsible for welfare issues to make sure that food is timeously delivered to the people. There have been delays in moving grain into the country in the last few days but that has improved. At the same time, the communities need to register more people under the drought relief programme so that we cover all those in need of food”.

Speaking during the same tour, Deputy Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, Lovemore Matuke said grain allocations to districts were being revised upwards.

“Food supply has improved with deliveries getting into the Grain Marketing Board depots from both the local market and imports. We will expedite deliveries to all the needy areas so that we avert hunger and presently we are seized with increasing the tonnage registrar to accommodate more people,” said Cde Matuke.

“We are increasing tonnage for most districts in Matabeleland from 440 tonnes to over 700 monthly”.

According to Cde Nguluvhe, most people in Beitbridge relied on cross border trade for income generation and some depended on their relatives in South Africa and other neighbouring countries.

He said the closure of borders to non-essential traffic had affected most people in rural areas.

“Our plea as community leaders is that as our Vice President may you assist us so that food is delivered to all the needy. Those that have little food are running out of stocks. The worst affected are those whose lives are hinged on cross border trade or rely on their relatives who are based in South Africa and cannot travel due to the ongoing measures to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Cde Nguluvhe.

Beitbridge district has an estimated 250 000 people with 15 000 said to be food insecure in rural areas and the number is reportedly increasing under the current lockdown guidelines.

Chronicle understands that 4 500 people in Beitbridge town are in need of food aid.