Online Reporter
Peter Matika [email protected]
Zanu-PF-affiliated business people in Bulawayo have stepped up efforts to support Zimbabweans returning home.
The youthful cadres Wisdom Tshuma and Bright Gumbo who run Newlife Milling Company have pledged weekly supplies of mealie-meal to the returnee command centre in Bulawayo.
They said the intervention is aimed at ensuring that returnees have access to the staple food while they await processing and transportation to their respective destinations.
Cde Tshuma, also a philanthropist, said the commitment would not be a once-off donation, but a sustained intervention designed to complement Government’s efforts to receive and assist returning Zimbabweans.
He said the decision by their milling company, was driven by a desire to ensure that returning citizens were received with dignity and did not face hunger while waiting to proceed to their homes.
“We are Zimbabweans first and foremost, and when our fellow citizens return home, we cannot fold our arms and watch them struggle for basic necessities,” said Cde Tshuma.
“As Newlife Milling, we have decided that we will provide mealie-meal every week to the returnee command centre. This is not about making a once-off gesture and walking away. We want to make sure that whenever our people arrive, there is something available for them to eat while they wait for transportation and other processes to be completed, he added.
Cde Tshuma said the initiative reflected the company’s belief that businesses had a broader responsibility to contribute to the welfare of communities and national programmes.
“We have the capacity to produce this staple food, so it is only right that we use what we have to assist our people. Government is doing its part, and as businesses and citizens we must also play our part,” he said.
He said the returnees should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of Government assistance, but as Zimbabweans coming back to their country and communities.
“These are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and children. They are coming home. The least we can do is make sure that they are welcomed and supported as they wait to reunite with their families,” said Cde Tshuma.
Cde Tshuma said the company would continue looking for other ways of supporting communities.
“We cannot build the Zimbabwe we want by leaving everything to Government. Every citizen, every business and every organisation has a role to play,” he said.
“Where we can assist, we will assist. Today it is mealie-meal for returnees, but our responsibility as a business is much broader. We must continue looking at how we can contribute to the wellbeing and development of our communities,” he added.
Cde Gumbo said the company was prepared to sustain the programme and work with relevant authorities to ensure that the assistance reached the intended beneficiaries.
“We are in the food business and we understand the importance of mealie-meal in every Zimbabwean household. If people are waiting at the command centre, food becomes one of their immediate needs,” he said.
“As Newlife Milling, we are saying we will not just talk about solidarity; we will demonstrate it. We are ready to contribute every week for as long as this assistance is required, said Cde Gumbo.
He noted that said the initiative was also in line with the company’s commitment to supporting Government-led programmes and communities.
“We want this to be practical support. It is easy to make statements about helping people, but what matters is putting something on the table. That is what we are doing through this pledge,” he said.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo Province Youth League vice-chairperson Cde Mehluli Mlotswa said the Youth League welcomed initiatives by party affiliates and businesses to support Government programmes.
“The Youth League remains committed to supporting Government programmes aimed at assisting returning Zimbabweans. We must ensure that our people are received properly and that their immediate needs are addressed,” said Cde Mlotswa.
He said young people should be at the forefront of mobilising communities and resources to support national programmes.
“This is about practical action. We want to see young people, businesses and other stakeholders coming forward with solutions. Our people are coming home and they must know that Zimbabwe welcomes them,” said Cde Mlotswa.
Minister of State for provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Cde Judith Ncube said the weekly mealie-meal pledge comes as authorities continue coordinating the reception, processing and onward transportation of Zimbabweans returning to the country.
“For some returnees, arrival at the command centre does not immediately translate into departure for their final destinations, as authorities may need to complete documentation, registration and transportation arrangements. The waiting period can therefore create immediate welfare needs, particularly access to food,” she said.
