Zanu hoards grain as election weapon

ouncil and presidential elections next year.
Investigations have revealed that indeed, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has been implementing an order from government to hold on to all incoming grain. It was difficult to establish the real quantities but senior officials from the GMB confirmed to The Zimbabwean that “there has been a directive to hold on to maize and other grains such as wheat, which are coming to the GMB. There will be a time when the government plans to distribute them onto the market.”
Questions sent to the GMB management on this issue were not responded to and Agriculture minister, Rugare Gumbo was not available for comment. Zanu (PF) political commissar Elliot Manyika denied that the ruling party planned to buy votes using food and other basic commodities adding, “we are committed to providing the nation with basic commodities at all times”. But he did confirm that the ruling party “is working on an election campaign strategy”.
Sources privy to the ruling party’s election campaign plans told The Zimbabwean that the strategy of holding on to food and other basic commodities in order to use them during campaigning was being done both at party and individual level in the case of those eyeing parliamentary, council as well as mayoral seats. – Itai Dzamara