Coltart exposes chilling starvation in Mat North

Former Minister of Eductation David Coltart has revealed chilling starvation findings he explored on in parts of Matabeleland North amid revelations children are going to school on empty stomachs.

He said he was out doing a rural school visit in Nyamandlovu recently  and the situation is just dire.

"One child collapsed on the road to school, hunger. The poor head is beside himself. He spoke about how many of the children are coming to him during the day, complaining of aching bellies, the only advice he can give is to drink water," he said. "In a school that has no resources, where the fence posts to their nutrition garden were burnt in a bush fire allowing the goats to come in and eat everything, where teachers cannot afford to support their own families, what can the school do? These children are doomed to never reach potential as their nutritional status is affecting their intellectual development. It is a cruel and tragic time in Zimbabwe."

Coltart said it seems to me that many in Government officials sitting in Harare are either oblivious of how serious the situation is or simply don't care.

"I have received many reports that people are starving now. It is time for Government and the international community to wake up," he said. "It is no good saying that food has been ordered and is on the seas (which I doubt in any case) - there is an urgent need for food to be supplied to the rural communities of Matabeleland now. Wake up Government! Wake up the international community!"