BINGA South Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator, Fanuel Cumanzala, has accused Zanu PF officials of hijacking the yet to be launched food aid distribution programme to ensure only its party members benefit.
Allegations are that the Zanu PF officials were working closely with Binga Rural District Council (RDC) officials such as chief executive, Joshua Mzamba, to compile a list of food aid beneficiaries.
Prolonged dry spells have left many Zimbabweans facing hunger as their crops failed in the searing hot weather.
The World Food Programme (WFP last week said at least 4.4million Zimbabweans were food insecure in Zimbabwe. This is an increase from 4.2 million people recorded in January this year.
Cumanzala said they had received disturbing reports that local government officials were refusing to work with local non-profit organisations because they believed they support opposition political parties.
“It seems they are being discouraged from coming up with food aid programmes by local authorities because they (local government officials) want to take advantage of the situation,” he said.
He said they had gathered that the local authority had secretly come up with a plan to engage only Zanu PF members in the social welfare food programme.
“They are reporting that social welfare has started with the registering process and only Zanu PF members are being registered,” he said adding that this seemed to indicate that the exercise was being carried out by Zanu PF agents.
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“This is very disturbing because such a programme should be apolitical.”
Cumazala said he was yet to engage the RDC and the Local Government and Social Welfare ministry on the matter.
Mzamba, the Binga chief executive, however denied claims of food politicisation.
“As the CEO, l have no relationship with the food distribution process in the district,” Mzamba said.
“The District Development Coordinator is the one who handles food aid programmes.”
Minister of State for Matabeleland North Province, Richard Moyo accused the CCC Binga legislator of trying to tarnish the image of the party.
“These people just want to tarnish the party’s reputation. They are lying. The DDC reports to me,” Moyo said.
A number of countries are reeling from the effects of climate change and El Nino.
Early this week, Zambia restricted maize exports due to the prolonged dry spell.
The government of Zimbabwe has claimed that the country is food secure despite humanitarian organisations insisting that the country is among nations in the global hunger zones.
Recently, Grain Marketing Board officials said the country was left with only four months of grain supply.
Authorities in the government and the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe have argued that the country was maize sufficient with imports said to be supplementing available stocks. However, critics have said the government has always been economical with figures.
