Mixed signals over state of Zimbabwe food security
March 13 2010 , 7:23:00
Thulasizwe Simelane, Harare
The Zimbabwean government appears confused over the assessment of the country’s food security situation. Following a tour of the countryside a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai declared the situation
catastrophic.
However, the Agriculture Minister Joseph Made now says it is too early to conclude that the harvest has failed, as the farming season is not yet over. He blames western sanctions for the collapse of irrigation infrastructure on
small-scale farms.
“Those communities where the British and Americans have pretended that the sanctions have no impact – that is where the sanctions have an impact and indeed when the prime minister was visiting around he saw the state of
irrigation schemes and they are only in that state because of the sanctions,” says Made.
The Red Cross says while $33 million is needed for emergency food assistance, donors have only pledged $7 million.
A unity government formed by bitter adversaries President Robert Mugabe and Prime Tsvangirai last year said it needs at least $10 billion to fix an economy emerging from a decade-long slump. But key Western donors have
withheld aid and demanded broad political reforms and assurances that Mugabe is ready to genuinely share power.