The agriculture inputs, such as maize seed and fertilizer, were part of a R300 million humanitarian donation by the South African government, which was repackaged as part of SADC's emergency relief programme, following the failure of the formation of the power sharing deal in the country.
But the MDC MP for Mbare, Piniel Denga, said people in rural areas were very desperate and hungry and were now processing the maize seed into mealie meal. He has witnessed this practice in Murehwa, Mutoko and Chikomba in Mashonaland East.
The maize seed that was distributed was red or green in colour, so people are consuming mealie meal that is red or green. Some people told me they washed away the chemicals before taking the seed to the grinding mill,' Denga said.
The MP said despite taking precautions by washing the maize seed, the practice remained risky because the seed was generally not for consumption. The chemicals are added to the seed to preserve it and make it good for planting but it's not guaranteed safe for human consumption.
The inputs were controversially only donated to ZANU PF supporters, despite pledges from South Africa's presidential spokesman Thabo Masebe, that they would be distributed in a manner that would reach all intended recipients, regardless of political affiliations.
The goods were handed out by SADC's Zimbabwe Humanitarian and Development Assistance Framework (ZHDAF) but almost all the inputs were distributed to the regime's supporters as it still has a big say on who gets the relief aid. The aid was distributed without an agreed monitoring mechanism in place, involving NGOs and regional governments, to ensure transparency.
There are also doubts as to whether the provision of agricultural inputs so late in the planting season, would have any benefit for the country's future food security. Most of the inputs were distributed when the planting season was almost over.
Over 5 million people in the country (half the population) are in need of food aid now because of ZANU PF's destruction of the agricultural base of the economy.