By Delicious Mathuthu
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi, who is also the Leader of the Zimababwe Parliament said lazy and irresponsible people will not be given food aide as government has done enough by giving them inputs to grow their own food, Kwedu News can reveal.
Minister Ziyambi said, through its Pfumvudza/Intwasa input scheme, government was giving people double social assistance, agricultural inputs to grow food subsequently; but lazy people are sellimg the inputs instead.
Hon. Ziyambi said this during a Parliamentary question and answer session where Goromonzi West Member of Parliament (MP) Honourable Biata Karimatsenga Nyamupinga questioned government’s preparedness in terms food aide and plans to avert hunger in the country.
Responding, Minister Ziyambi said: “Government is no longer just giving people food but we are giving people food through Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs. We then follow up on inputs given to see if they were put to appropriate use,” he said.
“We have realised that people in the same area some have food while others do not have. Those in science and technology are now helping us so that we come up with a system and people do not just become lazy after being given inputs which they sell and then wait for their Hon. Member to give them food.
“…there are other people who have just become cry-babies and
are not being responsible for their actions,” Minister Ziyambi said.
He said government will only focus on areas that are drought stricken where Social Welfare agricultural extension officers will identify people who would have been affected by drought so that they get food aide.
He said giving the same people inputs then food will be promoting laziness.
“If you look closely, when people are given inputs, it is social assistance. So in this country, we are embarking on a double social assistance, but we want to embark on social assistance where you are given inputs and then you plough.
“However, if you want us to give people inputs, then we follow and give them maize, we will be promoting laziness,” Minister Ziyambi said.
Hon. Karimatsenga Nyamupinga had questioned if government was aware of the lingering hunger in some communities in Zimbabwe.
“I would like to know if Government is aware that there is hunger in the country and people no longer have food.
“If they are aware, I want to know what plans they have put in place so that food gets to the people quickly before they die of hunger,” Hon. Karimatsenga Nyamupinga asked.
Making a follow up on Hon. Ziyambi’s response, she said if government was to make follow ups on inputs distributed it should bear in mind the Elnino phenomena which is affecting crops.
She also said people were not given top dressing fertilizer which significantly will reduce their yields.
Public Service,
Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister, Hon. Mercy Dinha however said no one will go hungry in the country.
She said despite having maize in the country, it was not being distributed to most people but only those in real need due to limited funding for logistics, but it has since been availed.
“Treasury has now availed $11 billion for the programme to start. So we are starting with the registration of the beneficiaries to enable us to distribute,” she said.
“People will receive grain and they will have their sadza.”
Chipinge East MP, Hon. Lincoln Dliwayo, concurred with Hon. Nyamupinga that people are now going desperately hungry.
“As I speak now, 15 women came to my place looking for food and they said they would sleep at my place because they did not have any food.
“So can you skip that (distribution) formula for now and just give people food? You can then use the formula some other time or next year,” Hon. Dliwayo said.
The World Food Programme has over the years said millions of Zimbabweans, both in rural and urban areas are in need of food aide partly due to climate change.
The situation could be worsened by the pending Elnino phenomena in the 2023/2024 summer cropping season as crops are being affected by prolonged dry spells which could reduce the country’s expected yield and food security in the process.
