The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THE Government has deployed seven trucks in Matabeleland South to transport grain from various Grain Market Board depots across the province to communities in a bid to ease transport costs which are beyond the reach of many villagers.
Most villagers in the province have been failing to raise money demanded by transporters to ferry their maize they are receiving under the drought relief programme with some being forced to sell the grain.
In an interview last week, Matabeleland South Provincial DDF co-ordinator Mr Moment Malandu said they received the seven trucks beginning of this month to augment the two which they had. He said the seven trucks were expected to rotate among other provinces.
“As DDF we were mandated by Government to assist the Social Services Department in bringing grain closer to the people. As Matabeleland South we were operating with only two 10-tonne trucks as others had broken down which made it difficult to cover all districts. We were allocated seven more trucks by our national office under what we call the hit and run programme.
“We received the trucks beginning of the month and at the end of the month they will be moving to another province and we wish to have covered as much ground as possible by then. Our province was identified as one of the worst affected areas where people were struggling to collect grain because of transport charges and hence it was the first to benefit. Under the programme we transport grain for free from GMB depots in various districts in the province and deliver it even to the remotest parts,” he said.
Mr Malandu said they had so far delivered 509 tonnes of grain to various districts against a target of 650 tonnes for the month. He said they were also in the process of repairing their trucks in a bid to ease transport challenges.
Mr Malandu said beneficiaries under the drought relief programme were being charged in foreign currency (R20) for the transportation of grain with Mangwe, Bulilima and Beitbridge being the most affected.
“Government realised that people were struggling to transport their grain with some being forced to sell their grain hence the deployment of these trucks. Some of the transporters are charging people in foreign currency which is making it difficult for communities.
“While as DDF we are mandated to assist in transportation most of our trucks are down making it difficult to fulfil this mandate. There is also need for Government to avail more funds so that we can repair and avail more trucks to communities. At the end of the month the trucks will be moving to another province but I’m sure that if we request again, we can get something,” he said.
