News / National
62 instances of of food violations recorded in December 2015
01 Feb 2016 at 05:39hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Peace Project has reported that in December 2015 alone, Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) recorded a total of 62 instances of food violations where individuals linked to opposition politics and to a minor extent those Zanu-PF members who were not seen at party meetings were denied food aid. A persistent trend shows such cases being mostly common in the three Mashonaland provinces.
The organisation said 15 out of the 62 cases, Mashonaland Central had 24% of the cases (almost a quarter). Mashonaland West's 14 cases made up 23%; and Mashonaland East had 16% with 10 cases.
"Food and input distributions have opened up ways of exploitation by those in privileged positions who have taken to charging anywhere from US$1 to US$3.50 as transportation fees for either food aid of agricultural inputs donations. Yet, these goods are understood to be for free and in the past no fees have been necessary. This new manipulation has seen those linked to the oppositions in some instances being charged more than Zanu-PF members, which is another literal price they must pay for being associated with the opposition," reported ZPP.
"If citizens linked to the opposition are not paying with their stomachs or for their stomachs for not toeing the Zanu-PF party line, those linked to the opposition do so when it comes to land allocations. Most land allocation in urban Zimbabwe is being undertaken by Zanu-PF cooperatives, a mechanism which systematically excludes those linked to the opposition. So not only are opposition members deprived of food, but they are also even deprived of homes. In certain serious instances some of them are evicted from their homes or land they would have been allocated."
The organisation said 15 out of the 62 cases, Mashonaland Central had 24% of the cases (almost a quarter). Mashonaland West's 14 cases made up 23%; and Mashonaland East had 16% with 10 cases.
"Food and input distributions have opened up ways of exploitation by those in privileged positions who have taken to charging anywhere from US$1 to US$3.50 as transportation fees for either food aid of agricultural inputs donations. Yet, these goods are understood to be for free and in the past no fees have been necessary. This new manipulation has seen those linked to the oppositions in some instances being charged more than Zanu-PF members, which is another literal price they must pay for being associated with the opposition," reported ZPP.
"If citizens linked to the opposition are not paying with their stomachs or for their stomachs for not toeing the Zanu-PF party line, those linked to the opposition do so when it comes to land allocations. Most land allocation in urban Zimbabwe is being undertaken by Zanu-PF cooperatives, a mechanism which systematically excludes those linked to the opposition. So not only are opposition members deprived of food, but they are also even deprived of homes. In certain serious instances some of them are evicted from their homes or land they would have been allocated."
Source - Byo24News
