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George Maponga recently in CHINGWIZI, Mwenezi
food rations for the more than 3 000 families who sought temporary shelter at Chingwizi holding camp have been slashed.
Each family now gets 10kg of maize-meal down from an average of 50kg per month.
The cuts come as traditional leaders in Masvingo led by Chief Gutu recently sourced more than 15 tonnes of maize to feed the families.
Chief Charumbira last week led a delegation of 20 chiefs to Chingwizi to get an appreciation of the situation and heard that the food security situation was dire.
Chingwizi village heads’ association chair Mr Mike Mudyanembwa said: “We are now receiving 10kg of maize or mealie-meal which does not last long for an average family . . . there is apprehension among families here because of shortage of food.
“Most people are now being forced to do menial jobs around the camp in return for money to buy food.”
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti said Government would continue to feed the flood victims at Chingwizi, with 40 tonnes of maize distributed on Monday last week.
“We have not slashed the rations for the flood victims, but we just distribute available food and last week we received 40 tonnes of maize from Christian Care which we gave to the families to last them until mid this month,” said Minister Bhasikiti.
Government has also been supplying the families with rations provided by the Department of Social Welfare through the Grain Marketing Board.
daniel chigunwe
Online Reporter