NKAYI South MP Jabulani Hadebe has expressed concern over the government’s decision to make parliamentarians carry the burden of transporting donated food aid from Harare to their respective constituencies to feed hungry villagers.
According to a statement dated December 19 and signed by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary Simon Masanga, it stated that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had allocated four metric tonnes to 360 members of the National Assembly and Senate for distribution within their respective constituencies.
Hadebe told Southern Eye that the move by the government to make Harare as a collection point would strain legislators, which will be exacerbated by poor road infrastructure from Harare to Matabeleland without government’s assistance.
“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 easy for us.
“We are now forced to hire transport without being given financial resources or fuel to transport the rice.
“The move will continuously marginalise the people of Matabeleland.”
He added that he saw it prudent to donate the rice to all schools in his constituency.
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“The donation comes at the right time considering that our people didn’t harvest anything in the 2023/24 season, which ended up being declared a national disaster,” Hadebe said.
Recently, Chief Hikwa of Bulilima district in Matabeleland South province, appealed to well-wishers and other stakeholders for the transportation of food aid from the Grain Marketing Board depot in Plumtree to feed her subjects who were affected by the effects of the El Niño-induced drought.
