The ManicaPost
Takunda Maodza, Manicaland Bureau Chief
THE MDC yesterday tried to politicise the situation in Chimanimani claiming food aid was being distributed to victims of the Cyclone Idai disaster on partisan lines.
A statement released by the opposition party’s secretary for public service and social welfare, Ms Maureen Kademaunga, claimed only Zanu-PF supporters were benefiting from food aid.
Ms Kademaunga claimed they had picked up the anomaly after a tour of Hode, Hlabiso, Ngangu and Chimanimani villages to assess the post-disaster situation in Chimanimani district.
“Politicisation of aid and farming inputs has seen known MDC supporters who have critical needs being deprived. Some of the community members reported that Government ministers who include Perrance Shiri had visited the community and politicised the crisis by threatening MDC supporters and denigrating (MDC leader Chamisa); the net effect of their political message was that known MDC members became targeted and excluded when farming inputs were being distributed,” said Ms Kademaunga.
She went on: “MDC welfare is gravely concerned by Zanu-PF’s attempts to abuse a humanitarian crisis for political expediency.”
The Manica Post visits Chimanimani nearly every week and dismisses the claims of politicisation of aid.
If anything, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are in charge of food handouts in Chimanimani. Of late the NGOs have not been giving food aid but money directly to the victims via the EcoCash platform.
A senior NGO official told The Manica Post yesterday: “Those claims are completely baseless and false. We stopped giving people food aid a long time ago. We are giving them US$80 per family every month through their EcoCash Nostro accounts.”
“For those living in tents, World Vision and another NGO called Adra were responsible for their feeding. The list of beneficiaries of food aid was actually prepared by the NGOs and there is no way politics gets in.”
Government was only largely involved in food distribution through its Social Welfare Department when it handled donations from well-wishers soon after disaster struck.
Ms Kademaunga further claimed “aid agencies” had embarked on road repairs in the district.
“Although aid agencies have embarked on road infrastructure rebuilding, road networks are still poor and inaccessible in most areas. Access to schools is still a challenge due to poor road networks and lack of infrastructure as most schools were destroyed by the floods. More effort and resources need to be channelled towards infrastructure such as schools and roads,” she said.
Ms Kademaunga is incorrect on the issue of the road repairs.
Government issued 21 contracts for the repair of roads in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
Bitumen World’s working on the Nyahodi-Rusitu-Kopa to Kopa road, J.R. Goddard the Wengezi to Skyline contract and Masimba Holdings Skyline to Chimanimani Village.
Exodus and Company is repairing roads and bridges from Kopa to Mutsvangwa, Kuchi Construction (Kopa to Vimba), and Fossils Investment, the Tanganda Halt, Birchenough to Joppa road.
The companies are winding up their works.
Ms Kademaunga’s statement is deliberately silent on the work done by these companies.
Last week members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transportand Infrasructural Development toured the road works to assess progress.
In an interview after the tour, acting chair for the committee Mr Robson Nyathi said they were impressed by the progress made by the companies in repairing the road network in Chimanimani.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza was also satisfied with what the companies have achieved in five months.
“I am satisfied. In some areas, of course, they are slow, but in others they have completed their works,” he said.
