Transport woes affects Nkayi food aid delivery

Nkayi South Member of Parliament (MP) Jabulani Hadebe has raised concerns over the government's decision to place the responsibility of transporting food aid from Harare to constituencies on parliamentarians. The move, according to Hadebe, will significantly strain legislators, especially those from remote areas like Matabeleland, where poor road infrastructure is a major hurdle.

In a statement issued on December 19, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare, under the leadership of Permanent Secretary Simon Masanga, announced that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had allocated four metric tonnes of food aid to each of the 360 members of the National Assembly and Senate for distribution within their constituencies. However, the food aid, which includes rice, is to be collected from Aspindale in Harare, leaving MPs to arrange and pay for transport to deliver the aid to their rural communities.

Hadebe told Southern Eye that this arrangement is not only unfair but also burdensome, particularly for legislators in regions like Matabeleland. He explained that, without assistance from the government, MPs are forced to find their own means of transporting the aid, often at their own expense. "It is very true. We are getting 80 bags of rice. Legislators are supposed to find their own means to transport the rice from Aspindale in Harare," Hadebe said. "The government is failing to distribute rice to provincial centres to make it easier for us. We are now forced to hire transport without being given financial resources or fuel to transport the rice. The move will continuously marginalize the people of Matabeleland."

Hadebe, who has been vocal about the struggles of his constituency, emphasized that the rice donation comes at a critical time, given that many families in his area have been severely impacted by the devastating effects of the 2023/24 drought season. He noted that the season had been declared a national disaster, leaving many without sufficient harvests.

"To make matters worse, we are not provided with any financial support to facilitate the transportation of this rice," he said. "I think it would be more prudent to donate the rice directly to all schools in my constituency, ensuring that the aid reaches the most vulnerable groups."

Hadebe's sentiments echo those of Chief Hikwa from Bulilima District in Matabeleland South, who recently made a public appeal for assistance with transporting food aid from the Grain Marketing Board depot in Plumtree to feed her subjects. The chief highlighted the challenges her community faces, particularly those caused by the El Niño-induced drought, which has left many families in dire need of food assistance.

The government's decision to burden parliamentarians with the logistics of food aid distribution has sparked criticism, with many questioning whether the system is fair to legislators and, more importantly, to the rural communities who depend on this support. The lack of financial resources for transportation, especially in underdeveloped areas with poor infrastructure, is seen as another example of the continuing marginalization of regions like Matabeleland in Zimbabwe's national development plans.