Hunger stalks rural communities
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
March 8, 2013 in News
WHILE cabinet ministers demand upmarket residential stands, top-of-the-range
vehicles and hefty financial exit packages towards the end of the inclusive
government, villagers still continue struggling as nothing much has changed
for them since the advent of the coalition arrangement in 2009.
Report by Faith Zaba
As the country drifts towards the constitutional referendum next week on
March 16 and crucial general elections likely in July, the Zimbabwe
Independent visited rural areas to see and hear what people are saying about
the social conditions under the coalition government.
Although general conditions changed after the adoption of the multi-currency
system following the devastating hyperinflation period, for Clever
Munengani, a Murehwa villager, and his five siblings and six orphaned nieces
and nephews nothing much has changed — they live on only less than US$3 a
day.
Over and above that, the Munengani family is among the Uzumba and Murewa
villagers in Mashonaland East facing severe food shortages after recent
incessant rains destroyed their crops.
Driving along the Murewa-Mutawatawa road, a sorry sight unfolds as crops on
most communal farms are a virtual write-off after torrential downpours from
December 2012 to February which flooded villages, including homes and
fields.
The 22-year old Munengani, who was orphaned several years ago, said the
family was likely to harvest one tonne of maize that should last them at
least six months. After that, he said they would be forced to sell one beast
for about US$600 which they would use to buy food and pay school fees for 10
schoolgoing members of the family.
Munengani and his 26-year-old brother dropped out of school when their
parents died several years ago. Clever was only in Form 1 then.
Every year, the Munengani family sells two cows to feed itself, but this
year, the situation is dire because of poor crop yields.
“There was too much rain this year. A lot of people planted their crops late
and they have been destroyed. It is going to be a year of hunger,” he said.
“We have six cows left now and each year we sell two cows to raise money for
food and school fees. This year is going to be even more difficult for us
without enough grain to last us the year. We live on sadza, pumpkin leaves
and other green leafy vegetables. We eat meat once in a while when we have a
little bit of extra cash.”
Communal farmers in Uzumba have not been spared either.
Emily Murehwa of Uzumba was distraught as she stared at her rain-destroyed
crop, failing to imagine how she was going to feed her six children this
year. She is a widow whose husband died in 2004.
She normally sells her maize surplus to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and
uses the proceeds to pay school fees and buy food for her family, but there
is none of that this year.
“I didn’t know that maize can rot in the field because of too much rain.
Just look at my maize; I just don’t know what I am going to do,” she said as
tears trickled down her cheeks.
“How am I going to feed my children? I don’t have any other source of
income. I can’t even rely on government hand-outs because the distribution
is sporadic and only very few people get the hand-outs.”
Her only alternative would now be to engage in the food-for-work programme
being offered by some non-governmental organisations.
Under the food-for-work progamme, each participant receives a 10kg bag of
maize-meal, cooking oil, kapenta fish, soya portions, beans and bulgar
wheat, but this varies depending on how large the family is.
The heavy rains in Murehwa, Uzumba, Maramba, Pfungwe, Buhera and other parts
of the country, coupled with dry spells in some areas like Masvingo and the
Matabeleland provinces, have led to a poor harvest in Zimbabwe, and aid
agencies expect the number of people facing starvation to rise to more than
1,7 million by end of this month.
Grain milling companies say their current stocks will not last until the new
harvest season in May-June. The Agricultural Marketing Association has
warned government of the looming crisis.
The grain milling industry has also indicated it requires about 150 000
metric tonnes of maize between now and the new harvest to meet consumers’
needs. Sources at the GMBZBCsaid it only has 92 000 metric tonnes of maize
in its reserves and has stopped maize sales to save for the grain loan
scheme.
The GMB, however, claims it has enough grain to feed the nation for the next
six weeks. GMB general manager Albert Mandizha said: “We have six weeks
cover of grain and plans to import will be out in two weeks’ time.”
Zimbabwe needs an estimated 2,2 million tonnes of maize each year and the
United Nations has appealed for more than US$131,4 million in assistance for
Zimbabwe. More than 80% of this appeal would be for food assistance.
The rains, which hit places like Murehwa and Uzumba, left some of the fields
with deep gullies and washed away top dressing fertiliser. In most fields,
the maize crop was less than a metre high and most communal farmers were not
able to weed their crops due to flooding.
Faith Zanga — a mother of two from Mudzambasekwe village in Uzumba — said
she lost her maize crop and groundnuts due to the heavy rains which flooded
her fields.
“My maize crop is about 50 centimetres high and it has not tasselled. I don’t
think I will get even a 50kg bag,” she said.
Asked how she is going to survive until the next planting season, she said:
“I will barter trade clothing for maize.”
Zanga has a vegetable stall and earns a profit of US$10 a week during
month-ends and US$5 mid-month.
“It is going to be a very tough year. I am already struggling to feed my
children — one in Form 3 and another in Grade 3. For breakfast, we normally
have tea and rice. On rare occasions, we have home-made bread and tea,” she
said.
“I can’t remember when I last had lunch. For dinner, we normally have sadza
with pumpkin leaves or dried green vegetables. During this period of the
year, we also pick mushrooms, which are our delicacy.”
Asked how often her family eats meat, she chuckled and said: “Meat; that is
a luxury. It’s been months since I last bought meat. I just can’t afford it.
The sad part about this food crisis is that even widows like us don’t get
anything from the government hand-outs. As far as they are concerned, I own
a business and they say I am OK.”
Seventy-eight-year old James Nyakabau has also been waiting for a response
from the department of social welfare.
“There is hunger everywhere. We are not harvesting anything this year. We
had too much rain and our soils are sandy. I will be lucky to get 100kg of
maize,” he said.
“Last year I applied for assistance from social welfare and I am still
waiting for them to deposit money into my POSB account. I benefitted once
from the food hand-outs, but the problem is the distribution is erratic and
the selective.
“To make matters worse, I have lost my two children and grandchildren are
still in school. I have no one to turn to. I am worried we will starve this
year.”
