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Rural Zimbabweans living in perpetual poverty - Mashakada
29 Apr 2017 at 08:01hrs | Views
MDC-T deputy secretary general Tapiwa Mashakada has insinuated that the majority of rural Zimbabweans are living in abject poverty as most of them are still using old farming means which was used during colonisation 37 years after the country attained independence.
He said Zimbabwe's local government system is that 70% of the population live in communal lands.
"Their economy is based on cultivating land and livestock production. Their source of energy is cow dung or firewood. This has been their way of life since the Rhodesian days. Independence brought new schools in rural areas and its good. However independence did not bring freedom to villagers," he said.
"They still live under the yoke of oppression from Chiefs, Village Heads and Headman. This is what is happening: Chiefs are forcing people to attend Zanu PF meetings 2. Village heads are forcing people to attend Zanu PF meetings. Corruption has caught up with Chiefs and village heads. Chiefs now appoint village heads on condition they are given a goat. This has resulted in the mushrooming of politically appointed village heads. Village heads are demanding payment of usd10 for any gathering. Be it church gathering or a traditional beer ceremony. This is clear corruption and villagers are getting angry. Village heads are interfering with the process of food distribution by NGOs as the personally compile the list of beneficiaries."
He said this list excludes all known or perceived MDC supporters.
"They are many MDC supporters who have been starved to death. Village heads are interfering with the distribution of Presidential inputs by excluding MDC supporters. In the rural areas you hear harrowing accounts of misery suffered by MDC supporters. God did not create people to suffer. Why does Zanu PF enslave people again 17 years after independence?" he said.
"Why are chiefs and village heads behaving with such brazen impunity? Why is President Mugabe condoning this new slavery? All the villagers want is their little freedoms. They want to live together happily. Now some of them are looking back to colonial days with nostalgia for they never witnessed such oppression and corruption from fellow black African chiefs."
He said Zimbabwe's local government system is that 70% of the population live in communal lands.
"Their economy is based on cultivating land and livestock production. Their source of energy is cow dung or firewood. This has been their way of life since the Rhodesian days. Independence brought new schools in rural areas and its good. However independence did not bring freedom to villagers," he said.
"They still live under the yoke of oppression from Chiefs, Village Heads and Headman. This is what is happening: Chiefs are forcing people to attend Zanu PF meetings 2. Village heads are forcing people to attend Zanu PF meetings. Corruption has caught up with Chiefs and village heads. Chiefs now appoint village heads on condition they are given a goat. This has resulted in the mushrooming of politically appointed village heads. Village heads are demanding payment of usd10 for any gathering. Be it church gathering or a traditional beer ceremony. This is clear corruption and villagers are getting angry. Village heads are interfering with the process of food distribution by NGOs as the personally compile the list of beneficiaries."
He said this list excludes all known or perceived MDC supporters.
"They are many MDC supporters who have been starved to death. Village heads are interfering with the distribution of Presidential inputs by excluding MDC supporters. In the rural areas you hear harrowing accounts of misery suffered by MDC supporters. God did not create people to suffer. Why does Zanu PF enslave people again 17 years after independence?" he said.
"Why are chiefs and village heads behaving with such brazen impunity? Why is President Mugabe condoning this new slavery? All the villagers want is their little freedoms. They want to live together happily. Now some of them are looking back to colonial days with nostalgia for they never witnessed such oppression and corruption from fellow black African chiefs."
Source - Byo24News
