Starving Bulawayo residents have never received aide from govt this year- MP

Zanu PF MP for Mpopoma Pelandaba Joseph Tshuma has told parliament that at the time when some Bulawayo residents are facing serious starvation , government has never distributed any food to the city.

He made the remarks while asking questions to the  Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services Tapiwa Matangaidze .

"My question is a follow up to a question that I asked in this very House in February when we were talking about the assistance that Government can give to people suffering in urban areas," Tshuma said. "My question is that we are now in May and people in Bulawayo are starving and no food aid has been distributed. We were told in this House that they were also going to get food aid. I just want to know from the Minister what is causing the delay to take this food aid to the people in urban centres?"

Matangaidze said the programme that Tshuma  alluded to has been tabled.

"It is the programme which we call Public Assistance.  It is the modalities of that programme which is being discussed and needs to be tabled at this point in time.  But yes, I will hasten to also say that when we now start the Food for Work Programme, clearly, areas in the urban settlements will be considered under that programme and we hope the constituency you refer to will be covered," he said.