MEMBERS of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) ordered Zanu PF
bigwigs not to interfere with the distribution of food aid in Cyclone Idai-hit
Chimanimani on Sunday to avoid the politicisation of relief efforts, the Daily
News can report.
This comes amid reports that youths from the ruling Zanu PF
party have taken over food distribution in Ngangu, Kopa and other parts of
Chimanimani that lie in ruins after the Cyclone Idai disaster.
Over the weekend, a Zanu PF legislator was also accosted by
angry villagers for handing out food aid to party faithful only.
In the latest
incident, ZNA members were forced to step in on Sunday after Zanu PF officials
tried to give themselves a role in the distribution of aid, sourced through the
Mayor’s Cheer Fund.
Francis Mandaza, the public relations manager for Harare
City Parking, who accompanied the capital city’s mayor Hebert Gomba to
Chimanimani on Sunday to hand over the aid mobilised through the Fund,
confirmed the incident.
Mandaza told the Daily News yesterday that the army had to
intervene after a coterie of Zanu PF officials had arrived in their branded
vehicles to “assist” in getting the donations to the targeted beneficiaries.
“The army officials had to tell them to go away because the
issue was non-partisan. We thought it should be common knowledge that when such
a disaster strikes, nobody should be seen to be keen on harvesting politically
from that,” he said.
“We are, however, happy that we managed to carry out our
social responsibility (function) by donating food and non-food items to the
needy… as a city, we are not only about taking from (motorists and residents
through) parking fees and rentals, but also helping out where colleagues are in
need.”
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said while relief
efforts were being coordinated by the ministry of Local Government, officials
from the ruling party may have genuinely thought they could help out.
“They genuinely wanted to help because they could not have
left people to starve, could they?” he said.
Local Government
minister July Moyo had earlier told the Senate that the sight of party-branded
vehicles laden with goodies created the impression that the elites in the
governing party were looting food aid.
He also disclosed that officials from Zanu PF travelling to
Chimanimani had been instructed to assist by carrying aid to where it is
needed.
“…unfortunately, if people end up carrying something with a
car written Zanu PF, then it becomes a grabbing issue,” Moyo told Parliament on
Tuesday.
Zimbabwe is
currently in mourning after Cyclone Idai ravaged parts of Manicaland and
Masvingo – decimating homes and livestock.
Over 300 people died in the tragedy with hundreds more
unaccounted for.
Reports suggest that
Cyclone Idai victims who are known opposition MDC supporters are being denied
food aid by Zanu PF apparatchiks.
Zanu PF Chimanimani
West Member of Parliament Nokuthula Matsikenyere was on Saturday allegedly
accosted by angry villagers for distributing food aid along partisan lines.
Matsikenyeri
rubbished the claims.
“I am surprised that people are saying only Zanu PF
supporters received relief aid. Since the trucks that were carrying food
arrived late, I personally requested that the teams from the department of
Social Welfare, United Nations and Innscor start distributing food to people
from Nyamusundu, Muusha, Chinamira and Utseya villages since they had to travel
about seven kilometres back home.
“Those areas are actually MDC strongholds. I did not get
many votes there, so I am surprised that people would say we prioritised Zanu
PF supporters,” she said.
MDC party
spokesperson Jacob Mafume yesterday condemned the partisan distribution of food
aid.
“We never saw anyone collecting any food aid at Zanu PF
headquarters. We never saw any Zanu PF structures being mobilised to collect
food aid but at the distribution point is where you find thousands and
thousands of Zanu PF individuals with their cars… We condemn this. It is
abominable. It is satanic. It is just pure, pure evil,” Mafume said. Daily News
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