News / National
Mnangagwa top aide warns aid looters
07 Sep 2024 at 10:23hrs | Views
ZANU-PF legislators this Wednesday fumed over unfair distribution of food aid in several constituencies countrywide as authorities admitted something went wrong during the processes.
Zimbabwe suffered its worst drought in over 40 years in the past season caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon where more than 9.2 people are said to be in need of food aid in both urban and rural areas.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the drought a national disaster and appealed for financial assistance to feed starving citizens.
Murewa South Member of Parliament (MP), Noah Mangondo told acting Speaker Raymore Machingura during the Q and A session same beneficiaries, who got aid last time were receiving yet another round of rations.
"People who received food aid in April and those who received in June are the ones who are receiving food for phase two that we started in August. What is government doing so that food is distributed to all vulnerable families?"
Public Service deputy minister Mercy Dinha explained to the acting speaker that when the government started the distribution programme, ZIMLAC was yet to produce its assessment report.
"When we started distributing food in April, we were given names of the beneficiaries by sabhukus, Village heads. ZIMLAC had not yet finished doing its assessments.
"The first phase started in May to July. We did not use the ZIMLAC results because it was stated that from July to September, people who were supposed to receive food aid when we started, were 6 100 000," Dinha said.
The deputy minister stated that her ministry did not revert to the ZIMLAC results because people would have been disadvantaged and only a few would have been given food aid.
She added that the government resorted to the number that it had been given in the first phase.
"These people are the people who were considered to be vulnerable. When this assessment was done, people had meetings with their Sabhukus and agreed on the families to receive food aid," Dinha said.
Mangondo queried Dinha's response.
"We are having a little misunderstanding. The same people who were given food aid are the ones that are being given. We all experienced drought and everyone is hungry."
Dinha told Machingura that those who received food aid first were considered the most vulnerable and were supposed to get food aid until the programme ended.
Zanu PF Rushinga MP, Tendai Nyabani also told Parliament that food aid was a necessity for every Zimbabwean due to the dry spell.
"Looking at our constituencies like Rushinga, Muzarabani and Mutoko, there is not even a single person who received food aid. The whole country experienced drought and everyone is hungry.
"What criteria are you using to select people because everyone is hungry? We did not receive any meaningful rains this year, so everyone must receive food aid," Nyabani said.
Acting leader of government business and Tourism minister Barbra Rwodzi chipped in to assist, saying those who had not benefitted were going to get their share.
"Government is getting there. Everyone should get what they deserve because there is hunger. For those who are being given food repeatedly, that is not the way to go. It should be rectified," Rwodzi stated.
Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe Central, Richard Ziki complained that the distribution criteria was not transparent and fair.
"There are people who did not get food during the second phase who were supposed to get food in their wards but by July 31, those people were removed from the list for not receiving their previous allocations," Ziki said.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi admitted there are anomalies.
"Something went wrong such that not all the places got food, but it does not mean that if you did not benefit, we should go back in retrospect because the time has passed and you are alive.
"We are giving for the next three months not to go back as if you have died. If you are still alive, we will start where we are."
The World Food Programme (WFP) recently appealed for more than US$150 million to feed starving Zimbabweans.
Meanwhile, Minister of Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Lovemore Matuke has warned party and government officials against looting food aid meant for vulnerable populations.
"I would want to implore all of you to professionally implement the President's declaration of a state of disaster due to the El Nino-induced drought besetting our country and to ensure that all Zimbabweans are fed and no one starves.
"There should be no room for corruption at all levels as all drought mitigation programmes should be implemented transparently."
Matuke, who was on a familiarisation tour of Mashonaland West this Thursday since the inception of his new ministry, reiterated aid was meant for the vulnerable while looters will face the wrath of the law.
"We have a problem whereby individuals in positions of power, especially in the party, who think when drought relief comes they must get more than the rest. That has to be corrected. We agreed to have looters arrested.
Looting equates to murder of intended beneficiaries because people will die of hunger because you used your position to loot. I am giving it as a warning to my colleagues, like me, that don't tamper around with food aid, there is no allocation for 'shefs' (top brass)," Matuke said.
Zimbabwe suffered its worst drought in over 40 years in the past season caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon where more than 9.2 people are said to be in need of food aid in both urban and rural areas.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the drought a national disaster and appealed for financial assistance to feed starving citizens.
Murewa South Member of Parliament (MP), Noah Mangondo told acting Speaker Raymore Machingura during the Q and A session same beneficiaries, who got aid last time were receiving yet another round of rations.
"People who received food aid in April and those who received in June are the ones who are receiving food for phase two that we started in August. What is government doing so that food is distributed to all vulnerable families?"
Public Service deputy minister Mercy Dinha explained to the acting speaker that when the government started the distribution programme, ZIMLAC was yet to produce its assessment report.
"When we started distributing food in April, we were given names of the beneficiaries by sabhukus, Village heads. ZIMLAC had not yet finished doing its assessments.
"The first phase started in May to July. We did not use the ZIMLAC results because it was stated that from July to September, people who were supposed to receive food aid when we started, were 6 100 000," Dinha said.
The deputy minister stated that her ministry did not revert to the ZIMLAC results because people would have been disadvantaged and only a few would have been given food aid.
She added that the government resorted to the number that it had been given in the first phase.
"These people are the people who were considered to be vulnerable. When this assessment was done, people had meetings with their Sabhukus and agreed on the families to receive food aid," Dinha said.
Mangondo queried Dinha's response.
"We are having a little misunderstanding. The same people who were given food aid are the ones that are being given. We all experienced drought and everyone is hungry."
Dinha told Machingura that those who received food aid first were considered the most vulnerable and were supposed to get food aid until the programme ended.
Zanu PF Rushinga MP, Tendai Nyabani also told Parliament that food aid was a necessity for every Zimbabwean due to the dry spell.
"What criteria are you using to select people because everyone is hungry? We did not receive any meaningful rains this year, so everyone must receive food aid," Nyabani said.
Acting leader of government business and Tourism minister Barbra Rwodzi chipped in to assist, saying those who had not benefitted were going to get their share.
"Government is getting there. Everyone should get what they deserve because there is hunger. For those who are being given food repeatedly, that is not the way to go. It should be rectified," Rwodzi stated.
Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe Central, Richard Ziki complained that the distribution criteria was not transparent and fair.
"There are people who did not get food during the second phase who were supposed to get food in their wards but by July 31, those people were removed from the list for not receiving their previous allocations," Ziki said.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi admitted there are anomalies.
"Something went wrong such that not all the places got food, but it does not mean that if you did not benefit, we should go back in retrospect because the time has passed and you are alive.
"We are giving for the next three months not to go back as if you have died. If you are still alive, we will start where we are."
The World Food Programme (WFP) recently appealed for more than US$150 million to feed starving Zimbabweans.
Meanwhile, Minister of Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Lovemore Matuke has warned party and government officials against looting food aid meant for vulnerable populations.
"I would want to implore all of you to professionally implement the President's declaration of a state of disaster due to the El Nino-induced drought besetting our country and to ensure that all Zimbabweans are fed and no one starves.
"There should be no room for corruption at all levels as all drought mitigation programmes should be implemented transparently."
Matuke, who was on a familiarisation tour of Mashonaland West this Thursday since the inception of his new ministry, reiterated aid was meant for the vulnerable while looters will face the wrath of the law.
"We have a problem whereby individuals in positions of power, especially in the party, who think when drought relief comes they must get more than the rest. That has to be corrected. We agreed to have looters arrested.
Looting equates to murder of intended beneficiaries because people will die of hunger because you used your position to loot. I am giving it as a warning to my colleagues, like me, that don't tamper around with food aid, there is no allocation for 'shefs' (top brass)," Matuke said.
Source - NewZimbabwe
