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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, [email protected]

TREASURY has released $11 billion for the distribution of grain to insecure households across the country as part of the Government’s efforts to fight against hunger across Zimbabwe.

The assistance of food-insecure people shows the commitment of the Second Republic of ensuring no one and no place is left behind. Further, the Government has declared that no one will die of hunger since there are adequate stocks of grain from previous successful cropping seasons.

Government representatives in all provinces are working on registering beneficiaries for the programme which will be followed by the distribution of grain. Responding to questions during a question-and-answer session in Parliament last Wednesday, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said Government is aware that there is hunger in some parts of the country. 

“The Government has a lot of plans in place to ensure that people are not hungry. However, we are no longer just giving people food but we are giving people food through Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs. We then follow up on inputs given to see if they were put to appropriate use,” he said.

“The agriculture extension officers will also be helping us. We have realised that people in the same area some have food while others do not. Those in science and technology are now helping us so that we come up with a system and people do not just become lazy after being given inputs which they sell and then wait for their MP to give them food.” 

Minister Ziyambi said the Government has tasked the Department of Social Welfare and the Agricultural Rural Development and Advisory Services to identify drought-stricken areas.

“However, other people have just become crybabies and are not being responsible for their actions,” he said.

Zanu-PF Goromonzi West legislator Cde Biatah Nyamupinga-Karimatsenga said last year people in her constituency planted but their crops did not mature.

“We did not get enough rainfall and that means people will not get a good harvest. What we are saying is that the Department of Social Welfare should tell us if they are going to give people food because they are hungry,” she said. 

In his response, Minister Ziyambi said the distribution of grain will start in the coming few weeks. 

“It is very true that maize was not being distributed although it is there. I think in the past days, we were just giving the maize to people in real need. However, in the next few weeks, distribution will start because we did not have funding for the programme to start,” he said.

“Treasury has now availed $11 billion for the programme to start. So we are starting with the registration of the beneficiaries to enable us to distribute.”

Minister Ziyambi said provincial heads have started the registration process and then they will follow up with the distribution of the maize.

“We are embarking on double social assistance, but we want to embark on social assistance where you are given inputs and then you plough. Now that we have received $11 billion from the Treasury, we are now able to pay transporters to ferry the maize to the GMBs so that it can be distributed to people,” he said.

“When transporters are transporting maize and say they are not being paid, they will be lying because the Government does not give food without money for transportation.”