“Corruption and theft of the inputs has also weighed in heavily in the already politicised scheme,” said the organisation in a press release last week. “A proper investigation should be done to ensure that those who abused the schemes are brought before the courts.”
The organisation said government officials and political activists were using the schemes to pursue their political agendas instead of benefitting the needy families mainly in rural areas.
Heal Zimbabwe had received reports of unfair distribution of farm inputs and seed in Muzarabani, Guruve, Buhera, Zaka, Mount Darwin, Mutoko and Chiweshe. Thousands of villagers in Buhera, Chipinge, Nyanga, Makoni north and east and Mutare district had been denied assistance because they were Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters.
In peri-urban centres, beneficiaries mainly from Harare South benefited because they were mainly Zanu (PF) supporters.
Heal Zimbabwe observed that beneficiaries clearly had to be loyal members of Zanu (PF) who possessed Zanu (PF) membership cards.
This was happening at a time when the 2011 -2012 agricultural season had already been declared a poor one in terms of rainfall distribution, with food shortages expected.
Heal Zimbabwe said there was need to address the anomalies in food distribution before reports of starvation emerge, especially in areas that had received little sporadic rains.
Post published in: Politics