GWANDA- A food shortage crisis is eminent here as villagers are being coerced to trade their livestock in exchange for food.Villagers in the area have complained that they have lost their goats and cattle to crude business people in exchange for basic commodities. All the Grain Marketing Board depots in the district last had stocks of maize three months ago.
The business people are taking advantage of the looming drought which resulted in serious shortages of basic commodities to extort livestock from desperate villagers.
They are importing maize meal and other basic commodities from neighbouring South Africa and Botswana, which they are offering in exchange for livestock to desperate villagers.
A 500kg bag of maize is being exchanged for one head of cattle. A goat is being exchanged for 100kg of maize, four litres of cooking oil and five bars of laundry soap.
Villagers appealed to non-governmental organisation (NGOs) to assist them with donations of food stuffs as they are on the verge of losing all their livestock.
Matobo Rural District Council, chief executive officer, Ernest Ndlovu said the council had teamed up with several NGOs to devise mechanisms to avert starvation in the district.
Post published in: News