Bulawayo residents survive on wild fruits

THOUSANDS of Bulawayo residents are at serious risk of hunger after years of an economic meltdown coupled with poor rainfall and mismanagement of water resources that have left dam supplies empty, resulting in large-scale factory closures and job losses.

Senior citizens are the worst affected with some residing at the outskirts of the city now surviving on wild fruits.

So dire is the situation that residents of St Peter's next to Pumula high-density suburb yesterday held a mini-church service to pray for urgent food aid to avert hunger-related deaths.

St Peter's, Robert Sinyoka, Trenance, Killarney and Methodist are some of the worst affected urban settlements where residents revealed they only have a plate of isitshwala/sadza once a week after begging for maize meal.

During other days, residents said they spend nights on wild fruits such as ubhunzu, uxakuxaku and a cup of tea for those fortunate enough to have sugar.

"My five grandchildren and I had a cup of porridge each last night," Evelyn Mathe of St Peter's told Southern Eye yesterday.

"We bought mealie-meal (with money) from selling firewood which we fetch from nearby bushes.

"We go for days without eating isitshwala as we will be scared of going to the bushes lest we get arrested by council rangers," Mathe added.

Lizzi Mlalazi, born in 1928, echoed Mathe's sentiments saying they survive by the grace of God.

"I pray my son. I just pray. It's only by the grace of God that I am still alive.

"I haven't eaten anything since last night," Mlalazi of Methodist peri-urban area indicated.