Grace Mugabe's farm equipment donation fails to reach beneficiaries

Gwanda rural district councillors have made shock revelations that they are not aware that First Lady Grace Mugabe distributed farming equipment meant for them last year.

This is despite the fact that the farming season is already at an advanced stage.

The equipment was sourced by the government from Brazil under the $38 million loan facility of More Food for Africa programme.

The intended beneficiaries have not been given documents indicating what equipment they are supposed to receive.

 Thompson Makhalima, councillor for ward 19, said he was hearing it for the first time that they were supposed to get the government-sourced farming equipment as no inventory had been given to the beneficiaries.

"If the equipment is coming to the ward they should bring inventories which they give to the beneficiaries so that they know what they are getting.

"It's my first time to hear that we are supposed to receive this equipment.

For example,  at Rustlers Gorge they just came and dumped tractors and farmers have already distributed the tractors to each other without knowing how the process was done," said Makhalima.

Grace distributed the farm equipment on December 2 last year at a rally at Maphisa Business Centre where she also distributed, among other things, groceries.