The Sunday News
Richard Muponde Gwanda Correspondent
MORE than 4 000 tonnes of food aid have been distributed to 39 000 households in the districts of Matabeleland South as Government moves to ensure that more people in drought hit areas get grain. Presenting a report to the Matabeleland South Drought Relief Committee on Thursday, the provincial head of social welfare Mr Totambirepi Tirivavi said 418,23 tonnes of grain in the province have been distributed to 39 945 households.
“So far we have distributed to Beitbridge 3 929 tonnes, Bulilima 7 850, Gwanda 6 422, Insiza 5 108, Mangwe 1 634, Matobo 5 000 and 10 002 for Umzingwane.
“The distributions are according to our monitoring. They are going on well and vulnerable households are getting their rations properly,” said Mr Tirivavi.
He said problems were only encountered in Bulilima where the road network is bad making it difficult for vehicles to reach distribution centres.
“The other issue is that those who are transporting the maize are not communicating in time that they are coming with maize to the extent that they arrive when people are not prepared to receive and offload the grain. We are appealing to them to communicate prior to reaching to distribution centres so that there are no delays on releasing vehicles to ferry grain to other areas,” he said.
In the same meeting the provincial administrator, Mr Mirdard Khumalo, appealed to the World Food Programme (WFP) to consider feeding pupils when schools open next month.
His appeal was a response to an announcement by WFP representative in the meeting who said his organisation has withdrawn its services of ferrying grain to vulnerable people after the contract expired last month.
WFP was partnering Government in carrying grain to vulnerable people for free.
“In light of the withdrawal of WFP I want to appeal to you to consider feeding pupils in schools when schools open. Last term there were reports that pupils were starving and in some instances collapsing at school. It is my appeal that you consider this issue,” said Mr Khumalo.
President Mugabe declared the drought a state of disaster and Government has appealed for food aid following the drought which was caused by the El Nino phenomena which has affected most parts of Southern Africa.
