Chronicle Editor
Sinokuthaba Dube, Sunday News Reporter
VULNERABLE people in Bulawayo will now receive money to buy a 50 kilogramme bag of maize per household per month, as a way of alleviating hunger in urban areas.
The programme is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and NetOne through its OneMoney platform. A Sunday News crew yesterday witnessed a number of people in North End suburb registering for the programme.
OneMoney is a mobile financial services platform that provides convenience to NetOne subscribers. Addressing beneficiaries, an officer in the ministry, Mrs Mary Takangovada said they were targeting households with vulnerable people.
“The Government is now mobilising financial resources for the less privileged people, specifically non-pensioners and child headed families,” she said.
According to statistics from the Social Welfare Department, at least 24 000 households in Bulawayo will benefit between now and next year.
Social Welfare provincial officer Mr Fanwell Dzoma said the Government has made efforts to at least provide beneficiaries with money equivalent to a 50-kilogramme bag of maize instead of handing out grain.
“The Government collaborated with NetOne to mitigate the effects of drought and challenges faced by the labour constrained and vulnerable members of the community by giving them money through OneMoney in place of grain. Instead of 12 000 households benefiting we now have 24 000 households benefiting as they used to share a 50kg between two households,” he said.
However, Mr Dzoma could not divulge the figures of payouts as they were subject to change owing to inflation and changes in the prize of the product.
Residents who did not have NetOne cellphone lines were immediately assisted with free lines and registered.
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Bongani Ndlovu