Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Bhebhe, Sikhulekelani Moyo(Chronicle Writers)
ECONOMIC and agricultural experts have lauded the Government for declaring the El Nino-induced drought a State of Disaster, saying the move will trigger the speedy harnessing of critical financial resources locally and from international development funders to support migratory strategies.
In separate interviews yesterday, they said President Mnangagwa’s declaration underscores the Government’s commitment to prioritise the well-being of Zimbabweans and take decisive action in the face of environmental challenges.
“Firstly, we would like to commend and applaud the President for declaring the current drought a national disaster. This should now see all stakeholders both locally and abroad including international development funders such as the United National Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) coming to support us in mitigating the effects of the drought,” said Mr George Nhepera, an agricultural economist.
“I am sure the private sector will heed the call by the President to come on board and do whatever is necessary in partnership with the Government especially in areas of finance and investment to secure funding from international investors.”
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) president Mr Denford Mutashu said President Mnangagwa’s declaration is a hallmark of leadership.
“All hands on deck by the Government and private sector to mobilise resources and grain products to ensure constant availability and stability in prices. All mitigation measures are welcome and wish to thank the President Dr ED Mnangagwa for declaring the El Nino-induced drought a State of Disaster. It’s Leadership,” he said.
Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe national chairman, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said millers will strive to procure as much grain as possible.
“This is a call to action and we are going to bring as much grain as possible to the market. We are going to provide funding for the commercial market and we will be having agents who will be working with the association,” he said.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union chief executive officer Mr Paul Zakaria said the private and public sectors and individuals should demonstrate a united front in resource mobilisation.
“This year’s drought is also a call to the farming community to say let’s implement climate-smart agriculture practices so that when we have a situation such as this people will not die of hunger,” said Mr Zakaria.
“Let’s do conservative farming, select varieties that are climate sensitive and invest in irrigation infrastructure so that we supplement and even do all year-round production as well as promote rural transformation. This is a call to action.”
Economics lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), Department of Banking and Economic Sciences, Mr Stevenson Dlamini said the declaration of the drought as a national disaster implies that Government intervention is inevitable.
Chief Menyezwa from Lupane district welcomed the move by the Government.
“The move by the President is exactly what we were looking forward to given the bad situation in terms of drought. As chiefs, we are forced to provide food to hungry villagers from the little we get. The declaration, will, therefore, greenlight NGOs and other well-wishers to assist us,” he said.
Chief Mathuphula of Tsholotsho district said by declaring the drought a State of Disaster, Government will mobilise resources more effectively to address the impacts of the drought on affected communities.
“People did not harvest from last season, and even those who planted traditional grains got little.
“The output in terms of cropping is very bad and this also applies to livestock situation as there are no pastures,” he said.
“The declaration of drought as a state of disaster will, therefore, set the wheels in motion for help as communities are already facing hunger. This is a call to action by the President for Government and non-government agencies to act to avert hunger in the country.”
Chief Mathema of Gwanda said President Mnangagwa’s declaration further strengthens the Government’s response to the drought and fosters collaboration between various stakeholders in addressing this pressing issue.
“We were discussing the issue of drought during a full council meeting sometime back and the general feeling was that the Government should declare it a State of Disaster. Many people are in distress because of hunger,” he said.
“The Grain Marketing Board must also be allowed to sell maize because we have children in the diaspora who want to buy maize but they cannot. I also urge the Government to also consider livestock by making sure that feed is availed to farmers.”
Chief Nyangazonke from Matobo district said they recognise the severity of the drought and the challenges it poses to their communities.
“We, therefore, support any measures taken by the Government to alleviate the suffering caused by the drought and to help communities cope with its effects. Matabeleland South is one of the worst affected in terms of drought, and we urge the Government to come up with mitigation measures to save our livestock and help grow the national herd,” he said.
Chief Sikhobokhobo of Nkayi said: “The drought has brought great hardship, particularly to our rural areas. This declaration signifies a commitment to addressing the needs of our people during this difficult time.”
Recently, the United Nations World Food Programme said it was working with the Government and humanitarian agencies to provide food to 2,7 million villagers in the country, as the El Niño weather phenomenon contributes to a drought crisis in southern Africa.
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