News / National
Chiefs cry foul over food aid distribution
22 Apr 2016 at 07:55hrs | Views
TRADITIONAL leaders have raised alarm over the unfair food distribution under the ongoing drought relief programmes as the intended beneficiaries are losing out.
The claims were made during a chiefs and headmen's meeting in Plumtree yesterday. Some people were said to be getting double allocations of grain, at a time when others were failing to access food as a result of lack of effective co-ordination.
Chief Mpini from Bulilima District said elderly people and orphans who were in serious need of assistance in his area were being side-lined. He said the selection process had to be transparent and thorough.
Chief Masendu of Bulilima District said the selection process of food aid beneficiaries was not thorough enough. He said the government, Non-Governmental Organisations and others assisting people at this difficult time must go through village heads as some focal people being used were not helping matters.
"However, this isn't the channel (using village heads) that's being followed by various stakeholders and as a result the same mistake is being repeated over and over again," he said.
Headman Sikhathini from Bulilima District said some households were benefiting from two or more programmes while some vulnerable households were being left out altogether.
"In some cases an NGO and the government can implement food aid programmes which run concurrently. The tendency in such cases is that the same households benefit from both programmes while some are left out.
"This is unfair distribution of aid because as much as possible vulnerable families should be covered. It's as though the aim of these programme implementers would just be to clear the food assigned to them by just giving to any person," he said.
Bulilima Rural District Council chief executive officer, John Brown Ncube, said an office should be established to coordinate the allocation of food.
The claims were made during a chiefs and headmen's meeting in Plumtree yesterday. Some people were said to be getting double allocations of grain, at a time when others were failing to access food as a result of lack of effective co-ordination.
Chief Mpini from Bulilima District said elderly people and orphans who were in serious need of assistance in his area were being side-lined. He said the selection process had to be transparent and thorough.
Chief Masendu of Bulilima District said the selection process of food aid beneficiaries was not thorough enough. He said the government, Non-Governmental Organisations and others assisting people at this difficult time must go through village heads as some focal people being used were not helping matters.
"However, this isn't the channel (using village heads) that's being followed by various stakeholders and as a result the same mistake is being repeated over and over again," he said.
Headman Sikhathini from Bulilima District said some households were benefiting from two or more programmes while some vulnerable households were being left out altogether.
"In some cases an NGO and the government can implement food aid programmes which run concurrently. The tendency in such cases is that the same households benefit from both programmes while some are left out.
"This is unfair distribution of aid because as much as possible vulnerable families should be covered. It's as though the aim of these programme implementers would just be to clear the food assigned to them by just giving to any person," he said.
Bulilima Rural District Council chief executive officer, John Brown Ncube, said an office should be established to coordinate the allocation of food.
Source - chronicle
