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Mukudzei Chingwere recently in Nyamaropa
Government’s food relief programme which encompasses grain distribution and the urban cash transfers programme is apolitical and aimed at benefiting everyone who is food insecure, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.
He said this after officially opening Regina Coeli Primary School in Nyamaropa, near Nyanga on Thursday.
VP Chiwenga said President Mnangagwa had taken concrete steps to ensure that no Zimbabwean was food insecure because of the El Nino-induced drought which had prompted the Government to craft mitigation measures.
“Zimbabwe and the whole SADC region are suffering from the effects of the El Nino-induced drought which affected agricultural production last year and this year. This means that some of our people are food insecure,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Our President His Excellency Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa through his able leadership, has vowed that no Zimbabwean should be food insecure or die of hunger. The Government is seized with providing for the vulnerable without discrimination”.
He said Government would ensure that there was no discrimination in food aid distribution.
“In towns, we are giving money to the identified vulnerable people so that they can buy food. If others were left behind, they should be incorporated. We have said community leaders should ensure that no one goes hungry,” said VP Chiwenga.
“When it comes to food distribution, there is no discrimination and if you are Zimbabwean, you should get food. The programme is not partisan and it does not matter who you voted for.”
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Under the Zunde RaMambo/Isiphala SeNkosi programme, all chiefs nationwide had been empowered to respond to distress calls from the vulnerable and to date, over 4 195 tonnes of grain has been collected by the chiefs. Regarding urban cash transfers, beneficiary registration was still underway across towns where there would be data cleaning, validation and paysheet generation for the wards whose registration process had been completed.
More than ZiG 7 million had been disbursed under the programme by September 13. Around 3 859 tonnes of mealie meal/maize grain had been collected under the Emergency School Feeding Programme by September 12.
Turning to development issues affecting the area, VP Chiwenga said the Government would ensure the construction of Gairezi Dam for local communities to set up irrigation ventures.
“Construction of Gairezi Dam is one of the Government’s programmes . The dam is going to be constructed,” he said.
Online Reporter