Source: Call to declare Matabeleland South drought a disaster | The Sunday News 3 NOVEMBER 2019

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter 

THE Zanu-PF provincial leadership in Matabeleland South will soon petition the Government to declare the drought in the province a State of disaster. 

This was said by Zanu-PF Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Cde Rabelang Choeni during a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting held in Gwanda yesterday.  Matabeleland South has been one of the provinces hardest hit by the drought, with 5 000 cattle wiped out by the prolonged dry spell. A number of people are also facing food shortages in the province. 

“We have lost so many cattle. There’s no water and there’s no grass for the livestock to graze on. As Matabeleland South, I’m saying let us come together as a united house and petition Government to declare this region a disaster area. This is one place that has been severely affected by this drought,” Cde Choeni said. 

Speaking at the same meeting, Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Cde Abednico Ncube also addressed accusations that there was abuse of relief grain by employees of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), saying those caught offside would soon face the full wrath of law.  This came after complaints by some constituents in Matobo District that they received half full bags of maize recently. 

“If there’s evidence then these people should be suspended because these are civil servants who should be working for the people and not stealing from them. Constituents should compile a report and ther more people contribute to it the better because then it will have more weight. Those that are cheating and stealing from desperate people will lose their jobs because we have many learned people that want to occupy those same positions,” he said. 

Matabeleland South Zanu-PF Youth League chairman Cde Washington Nkomo said that the party’s youth wing would soon roll out a poultry project that will see youths in remote areas given 10 000 chickens every week. 

“We’re doing this because youth in such remote areas usually don’t have a chance to participate in the economy fully. This will give them a fighting chance despite the fact that they live in far off areas,” he said.