Samuel Kadungure
News Editor
GOVERNMENT distributed a total of 3 706 metric tonnes of grain to cushion vulnerable families in August — which is 15 percent of the cumulative allocation up to October — while 120 125 beneficiaries who registered for urban cash transfers will from next week start getting their allocations capped at US$32 for a family with four members.
The urban cash transfers programme is expected to run until March next year.
A Manicaland Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and Urban Cash for Cereals report released by acting director (provincial coordinator) in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mr Past-tense Tarondwa, stated that the target population for cash transfers had shot through the roof from 105 192 beneficiaries to 120 125 — which represents a 114 percent coverage.
Only two districts — Makoni and Chipinge — had registered less than 100 percent of the targeted population at 78 percent and 92 percent respectively, while the rest of the districts had recorded beyond set targets.
Buhera, which is the hardest hit and most vulnerable district in the province, had as of August 26, 2024, registered 15 766 beneficiaries from 3 552 households, which is 140 percent of the targeted 11 257 beneficiaries for the urban cash transfers.
Chimanimani had 4 590 beneficiaries from 918 households, which is 128 percent of the targeted 3 595 and Chipinge had 14 185 registered beneficiaries from 2184 households, marking 92 percent of the targeted 15 344 beneficiaries.
Makoni had 11 451 registered beneficiaries from 2 482 households, which is 78 percent of the targeted 11 643, while Mutare had 57 625 registered beneficiaries for urban cash transfers from 12 401 households, which represents 109 percent of the targeted 55 491.
Mutasa had 11 984 registered beneficiaries from 11 984, which represents 107 percent of the targeted 11 343 people, while Nyanga had registered 3 950 people from 1 026 households, which represents 195 percent of the targeted population of 2018.
Mr Tarondwa said Government and its partners were committed to ensuring that the citizenry was food and nutrition secure through cash and grain disbursements in urban and rural areas, respectively.
Mr Tarondwa said in terms of grain distribution for August, Chimanimani had received 358, 08mt (20,6 percent); Chipinge 984, 44mt (18,5 percent); Makoni 395, 32mt (10,2 percent); Mutare 892,2mt (22,2 percent); Mutasa 687,22mt (20,4 percent) and Nyanga 389,5mt (20,6 percent).
“The cash transfers are projected to start next week if all goes according to plan. As Manicaland, we are done with the selection, and are in the process of validating the compiled lists. As you have seen, some lists have gone beyond the targeted number of beneficiaries, and these are some of the issues that we will be deliberating on with a view to streamline and standardise them in tandem with set beneficiary lists per district,” said Mr Tarondwa.
The cash transfers are meant to buy adequate and nutritious food for food insecure labour-constrained households, child, older person, chronically ill, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and female-headed households with high dependency ratio in urban areas; mitigate the effects of drought and other shocks as well as strengthening household economy during the drought period.
The final list of beneficiaries will be shared with mobile money service providers to verify if their given phone numbers are registered to receive cash.
After this verification, a pay sheet will be generated that will be used to transfer cash entitlements into the beneficiaries’ mobile money accounts.
The beneficiaries can cash out their cash entitlements or buy food directly in shops using the mobile money platforms.
The value of transfer for Government is pegged at the current price of 10kg bag of maize-meal per person to match with the FDMS programme disbursements that respond to short-term food insecurity in rural areas.
The transfer amount includes three percent of transfer or handling charges.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Simon Masanga said Government has released ZwG154 million for cash transfers to the vulnerable urban dwellers to alleviate food insecurity.
Government has entered into partnership with UNICEF and the World Food Programme, among other partners, to assist food insecure families.
Food insecure and labour-constrained households receive unconditional cash transfers, while labour-endowed and food-poor households get conditional cash transfers after undertaking public works, while food insecure and labour-constrained households receive unconditional cash transfers, while labour-endowed and food-poor households get conditional cash transfers after undertaking public works.
“We are ready. The money is there and the actual payments will be done by the end of next week. The identification and selection process of beneficiaries was also done, so we are now waiting for the tender board to approve the payment modalities to be used. All is in place, so distribution will start soon, and beneficiaries should be ready to receive the money once the service provider has been selected,” said Mr Masanga.
