Upenyu Chaota
With most areas in Masvingo province experiencing serious food shortages, politicisation of food aid has become rife with Zanu-PF supporters getting first preference while opposition supporters complain that they are being sidelined especially from the presidential relief aid.
MDC-T Masvingo provincial chairperson, James Gumbi said their people are still being left out in the distribution of food aid.
“It is true that our people are not receiving any food aid when hunger is serious like it is right now. Food aid should not be politicised especially when the nation is in a serious food crisis and most people on the brink of starvation.
“It is unfair for people to be asked to recite a slogan to get food aid. People have different political allegiances, but does that mean you have to starve people so that they can come and rally behind your party?
“It is the government’s responsibility to make sure that the people do not starve regardless of their political opinions,” said Gumbi.
He said politicisation of food aid in Masvingo is high because the people in charge of the food distribution are all Zanu-PF people some of whom are using maize as a leverage to garner political ground.
“We cannot be capitalising on people’s hunger to gain political support, it’s just wrong. All people have the right to access donor aid but these politicians hijack everything for their own good.
“As the MDC, we have devised a mechanism to deploy our people at all the food distribution centres to grab the food because they cannot just fold their hands while their families starve,” Gumbi said.
Psychomotor minister, Josaya Hungwe who has been implicated in the politicisation of food aid in Mwenezi recently could not be reached for a comment as his phone went unanswered.news
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