Govt rolls out 100 000t food relief

Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
Government will this week start distributing at least 100 000 tonnes of maize to hunger-stricken and vulnerable groups across the country. This would be done with assistance from some development partners.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Cde Prisca Mupfumira said a process to identify the people in need of food assistance had already been concluded.

“We have slightly over 100 000 tonnes ready for distribution to people in need of food assistance across the country,” said Cde Mupfumira. “The maize is there and is being handled by my ministry.”

She said distribution would start this week. Government has secured 45 000 tonnes of maize while other partners such as the World Food Programme contributed the remainder.

Minister Mupfumira said the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee findings helped ascertain the number of people in need of food assistance. Cde Mupfumira is also the Senator for Makonde constituency which covers Chinhoyi town, Makonde Rural and Mhangura.

The report says about two million people are in need of food assistance throughout the country. She said people in urban areas would also benefit under the Public Assistance Programme.

Makonde district administrator Mrs Plaxidiah Chirongoma said distribution had already targeting 18 000 people.

“We have over 400 tonnes that we start distributing in Makonde district on Tuesday to about 3 000 households with about 18 000 people,” she said.

Hunger is affecting some children in perennially dry areas such as Hurungwe, Kariba and Makonde districts where school dropouts are reportedly on the increase.

Makonde National Assembly member Cde Kindness Paradza said most areas in his constituency were in desperate need of food assistance.

Proportional representation MP Cde Jeniffer Mhlanga said several wards in Makonde were in need of food while those in farming communities were better off.

Meanwhile, football and netball teams from Makonde district, including Makonde Rural, Mhangura and Chinhoyi participated in the Senator Mupfumira Makonde Sports Tournament at the weekend and walked away with prize money, medals and trophies.