adminThe worst affected are areas like Beitbridge and Gwanda in Matabeleland South where people are suffering. A generally arid area, the region is one of the provinces in the country that is usually food insecure. The province is found in Natural Agro-ecological Region Five that receives low rainfall, which is insufficient for crop production.
A recent visit to the province by Chronicle revealed that villagers in most communities had become hopeless after almost all their crops became a write-off.
Villagers, whose livelihoods largely depend on the land, are finding it difficult to make ends meet, as low rains mean no food at all. This has seen some farmers selling their livestock to buy food.
“We did not receive enough rain this year which left our crops wilted,” said 65-year-old Mrs Janet Ndlovu of Ntepe area in Gwanda rural.
“This year it is even worse because we have no crops in our field and we do not even hope to harvest anything.
“Sometimes we go for days without food because we do not have the money to buy food and sometimes we have at most one meal a day. We cannot afford to buy mealie-meal from the shops because a 10 kilogramme bag costs $12,” she said.
The mealie-meal price is almost double the normal price of around $6, 50.
Prolonged dry spells have caused serious food shortages in many parts of the country especially in rural areas where people rely on crop production.
The Director of Social Services in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Sydney Mhishi, recently said the ministry was unable to buy grain for distribution to the poor due to lack of funds despite being allocated $3 million for drought relief in the 2012 budget.
“Almost all of us are not gainfully employed and we live on crop production but because of these rains we will not be able to fend for our families,” said a woman only identified as NaChristine, also from Ntepe.
“Life has always been difficult here but we cannot move to another place as this is our ancestral home. At least if the Government could help us because it looks like life will be unbearable,” she added.
Besides food, the province also has serious water problems, also compounded by the low rainfall.
Some villagers even travel for more than 10 kilometres to fetch water from the nearest sources.
This has seen the elderly and children suffering the worst, as they go for days without water as they are not able to travel long distances.
“Thina ogogo inyawo azisavumi ukuthi sihambe umango omude, njalo sesijwayele ukuhlala amalanga phose ebemathathu singelamanzi (As an old woman, I cannot walk long distances and we are now used to spending about three days without water),” she said.
Over the years the province has been affected by droughts and communities have called for a lasting solution to produce and provide enough food reserves for the province.
Mr Thabani Ndlovu, of Shanyaugwe in rural Gwanda, said insufficient rain was the major cause of recurrent food crises. This year the normal rains that usually fall between December and January did not come.
Most farmers did not harvest anything last year, further putting their lives in a dire food crisis. Some have now reverted to the old barter exchange where they give out livestock for maize.
This has seen people mostly from urban areas taking advantage of the situation as most rural people are poor and hardly have the money to buy maize.
Mrs Samantha Moyo of rural Gwanda said she was forced to trade her cattle for maize.
“I am the one who loses out because some people now rob us when we exchange,” she said.
Livestock in Matabeleland South are also facing serious water shortages, as water sources like dams are dry. They have to travel long distances in search of water. Villagers fear that they will lose their cattle if no intervention comes their way.
Matabeleland region is one of the country’s main producers of beef but this status is under threat as cattle owners continue to lose their animals to people who take advantage of the food shortage.
“The Government must do something to provide water in this area because our cattle are suffering since there is no water and the grass has completely wilted,” said Mr Patrick Moyo of Guyu area in Gwanda.
The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has increased grain distribution to deficit areas mainly in the drought stricken southern parts of the country.
Acting GMB corporate communications manager, Mr Joseph Katete, said the parastatal has been concentrating on distributing grain to Masvingo, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Midlands provinces, which are prone to food shortages.
As of 20 March, the GMB had distributed 16 590 tonnes of grain to five provinces in the country but the success of this initiative is being threatened by logistical challenges.
“Matabeleland North has received 3 238 tonnes, Matabeleland South has been given 2 941 tonnes, a total of 3 361 tonnes have been delivered to Masvingo, while 6 810 have been sent to the Midlands and 240 to Manicaland,” said Mr Katete.
He said about 19 GMB depots received and would continue to receive the grain under the Grain Loan Scheme.
“The depots are Beitbridge, Binga, Buhera, Chikombedzi, Chivi, Chiredzi, Esigodini, Gwanda, Gweru, Inyathi, Kwekwe, Maphisa, Masvingo, Mataga, Nkayi, Nyamandlovu, Mr Fayason Phiri, a welder at Guyu said CARE, an NGO had embarked on a food-for-work programme in an alternative to help villagers with food.
“CARE has helped us with food as they do a voluntary food for work programme which gives a 10 kg bag of mealie-meal, two litres of cooking oil and beans, and it also gives the less privileged especially orphans and the elderly.”
Villages have, however, criticised the Government for failing to provide adequate food.
“The Government introduced the grain loan scheme with each person contributing $5 for a bag of maize, but we have not heard from them ever since they came last month,” said Phiri.
“We do not understand when the Government says we will not go hungry because at the moment we are hungry. The Government has promised to deliver maize, it does but it is never enough even if non-governmental organisations intervene.
“This situation is very bad as we are now forced to be beggars. We are alive simply by the grace of God,” he said.
The Government recently extended the grain loan scheme facility to the 2012/13 farming season amid revelations that 500 000 hectares of the 1,6 million hectares of land planted in this year’s farming season was a write-off.
Irrigation schemes have also been finding it difficult to cope with ever changing rainfall patterns seeing their crops wilting due to erratic rains that have dried up supply dams.
Mrs Albania Msimanga, the chairlady of Chelesa Irrigation Scheme, said they were facing water problems as the rivers were drying up.
“Water is a critical issue in this area as Tuli River has dried up yet it is the only source of water nearby.
“In this scheme we sell our maize to the locals because they are facing serious food shortages and we sell a bag of maize for $21,” she said.
Communities in Matabeleland South province are appealing to Government and non-governmental organisations for food aid to prevent a pending humanitarian disaster.
Online Reporter