ZAKA - Hundreds of villagers, including women with young children strapped on their backs, from the parched Benzi communal lands in Zaka on Monday staged a sit in at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depot at Jerera Growth point demanding urgent food relief.The villagers, singing songs denigrating the inclusive government,staged a six-hour sit at the depot before marching to the District Administrator’s office where they handed over a petition demanding urgent food relief or else they would take unspecified action. They blasted the inclusive government for prioritising what they called petty issues when the majority of people were starving.
Others blasted President Robert Mugabe for wanting to cling to power yet he was not able to feed starving villagers who were always saved by NGOs.
”We want to make it clear to the inclusive government, especially Mugabe, that we are fed up that he is prevaricating on implementing the GPA fully so that we can get food relief from foreign donors. That message should be loud and clear to Mugabe,” said Rainos Panganai from Rudhanda village.
GMB officials at the depot refused to comment and referred all questions to their head office in Harare.
Zaka district administrator, Nyasha Zindove, said there was urgent need for food relief to avert starvation. At least 90 000 people in the area are in need of urgent food aid as most of their crops were written off following a prolonged dry spell.
Post published in: News