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Zanu-PF accused of destroying food production through farm invasions
17 Jun 2015 at 08:22hrs | Views
Maize production drop has culminated to Zimbabwe being in need of $300 million for the import of maize from the neighboring countries such as Zambia and South Africa.
This was revealed by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa prompting other political parties and commentators to said the fact that Zimbabwe has to find $300m to import food this year because of a massive drop in maize production is due to the ruling party's ruinous agricultural policies.
Obert Gutu, a spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai said the situation was now desperate for Zimbabwe due to economic melt down as a result of Zanu PF misrule.
Zimbabwe used to be known as the breadbasket of Southern Africa. On Monday, Mnangagwa said $300m was needed for food imports.
"For the record, I want to assure that government will do all in its power to ensure that no one starves and that everyone gets food of adequate nutritional value," Mnangagwa said.
He was speaking at the launch of a report by the UN World Food Programme. He further said maize production had decreased by 49% and hoped the next harvest would be "significantly better than this one. The development could be a contrary to Zanu PF beliefs which thought that by taking farms the nation will have massive maize or food production.
The US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned that food shortages could reach crisis levels by July if there was no food aid.
President Robert Mugabe's government insists that the poor harvests since the launch of a programme of takeovers of white-owned farms in 2000 were due to drought.
Mugabe admitted that some new black farmers were unable to manage their farms. Support had largely tailed off for small-scale farmers, who in the past produced sizeable maize crops.
"Robert Mugabe and his rogue administration are bankrupt and are unable to harness adequate financial resources in order to import the maize that is now urgently required," Gutu attacked.
Former education minister David Coltart, a member of a smaller MDC , said in a tweet "Until we grant title to land holders and reverse ZANUPF's destructive policy of making land dead capital we will never address food security."
The official Herald newspaper said the $300m was being sourced "from different stakeholders".
This was revealed by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa prompting other political parties and commentators to said the fact that Zimbabwe has to find $300m to import food this year because of a massive drop in maize production is due to the ruling party's ruinous agricultural policies.
Obert Gutu, a spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai said the situation was now desperate for Zimbabwe due to economic melt down as a result of Zanu PF misrule.
Zimbabwe used to be known as the breadbasket of Southern Africa. On Monday, Mnangagwa said $300m was needed for food imports.
"For the record, I want to assure that government will do all in its power to ensure that no one starves and that everyone gets food of adequate nutritional value," Mnangagwa said.
He was speaking at the launch of a report by the UN World Food Programme. He further said maize production had decreased by 49% and hoped the next harvest would be "significantly better than this one. The development could be a contrary to Zanu PF beliefs which thought that by taking farms the nation will have massive maize or food production.
The US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned that food shortages could reach crisis levels by July if there was no food aid.
President Robert Mugabe's government insists that the poor harvests since the launch of a programme of takeovers of white-owned farms in 2000 were due to drought.
Mugabe admitted that some new black farmers were unable to manage their farms. Support had largely tailed off for small-scale farmers, who in the past produced sizeable maize crops.
"Robert Mugabe and his rogue administration are bankrupt and are unable to harness adequate financial resources in order to import the maize that is now urgently required," Gutu attacked.
Former education minister David Coltart, a member of a smaller MDC , said in a tweet "Until we grant title to land holders and reverse ZANUPF's destructive policy of making land dead capital we will never address food security."
The official Herald newspaper said the $300m was being sourced "from different stakeholders".
Source - Byo24News
