News / National
Zanu-PF minister, council clash over grain
17 Sep 2014 at 10:32hrs | Views
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has taken a swipe at Chivi Rural District Council for allegedly making false claims that they had mobilised nearly 100 tonnes of grain to help feed Tokwe-Mukosi flood victims at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi.
This was after the council failed to deliver grain they claimed to have mobilised last month under an initiative dubbed "Wezhira Ndionewo".
"Wezhira" is street lingo used to refer to people from Masvingo Province.
Chivi RDC chairman Clr Killer Zivhu earlier said they had mobilised grain from villagers in the arid district to help feed hunger-stricken families displaced by the Tokwe-Mukosi Dam.
At the time, Clr Zivhu promised to hand over the grain to the Masvingo provincial leadership for onward transmission to the flood victims.
However, in a new twist, on Monday Minister Bhasikiti said officials deployed to collect the maize purported to have been donated by villagers in Chivi came back empty-handed.
"It was a fake donation that was made by Clr Zivhu and his fellow councillors because we dispatched the deputy provincial administrator (Mr Gorden Chipika) recently to look at the maize and organise for its transportation to Nuanetsi Ranch but we found nothing," he said.
Clr Zivhu, however, maintained they mobilised the grain and asked Minister Bhasikiti to deploy trucks to collect it.
Clr Zivhu said some of the maize was stashed in classrooms at schools in Chivi, adding that shortage of bags to pack the grain was a problem.
"Minister Bhasikiti should provide the trucks that will collect the maize in the wards if he can manage because it is there. We are currently busy buying bags to pack the grain and as I speak there are over 10 tonnes at Chivi RDC offices waiting to be collected," said Clr Zivhu.
Families at Nuanetsi Ranch require about 156 tonnes of maize every month.
The World Food Programme has been feeding them for the past four months after unveiling an 800-tonne feeding programme that lapses at the end of this month.
This was after the council failed to deliver grain they claimed to have mobilised last month under an initiative dubbed "Wezhira Ndionewo".
"Wezhira" is street lingo used to refer to people from Masvingo Province.
Chivi RDC chairman Clr Killer Zivhu earlier said they had mobilised grain from villagers in the arid district to help feed hunger-stricken families displaced by the Tokwe-Mukosi Dam.
At the time, Clr Zivhu promised to hand over the grain to the Masvingo provincial leadership for onward transmission to the flood victims.
However, in a new twist, on Monday Minister Bhasikiti said officials deployed to collect the maize purported to have been donated by villagers in Chivi came back empty-handed.
Clr Zivhu, however, maintained they mobilised the grain and asked Minister Bhasikiti to deploy trucks to collect it.
Clr Zivhu said some of the maize was stashed in classrooms at schools in Chivi, adding that shortage of bags to pack the grain was a problem.
"Minister Bhasikiti should provide the trucks that will collect the maize in the wards if he can manage because it is there. We are currently busy buying bags to pack the grain and as I speak there are over 10 tonnes at Chivi RDC offices waiting to be collected," said Clr Zivhu.
Families at Nuanetsi Ranch require about 156 tonnes of maize every month.
The World Food Programme has been feeding them for the past four months after unveiling an 800-tonne feeding programme that lapses at the end of this month.
Source - The Herald
