BRANDED maize-meal from donor agencies meant for under-privileged members of the community is being sold at the prevailing retail price by unscrupulous shop owners across the province, The Manica Post has established.
Though USAID neither confirmed nor denied the sale of
donated maize-meal, the organisation has since launched full-scale
investigations into the matter after this publication sent questions on the
matter.
“We will give a comprehensive comment after thorough
investigations into the issue are concluded,” said Ms Dorothy Hove, the USAID
Zimbabwe Development Outreach and Communication Specialist.
With visible donor agencies’ names and logos, the
maize-meal is being displayed on shop shelves in Marange, Chimanimani, Buhera,
Nyanga and Chipinge in broad daylight. In Chingome Village in Marange, a 10kg
bag of maize-meal is going for US$5 at a shop inscribed ‘Bie’ that is said to
be owned by one Mr Brian Kaisa.
When The Manica Post visited the area early this week, a
female shopkeeper at the shop said she did not know the source of the
maize-meal.
“My job is to sell the product and it costs US$5. That is
all I can tell you and if you want to buy you can go ahead,” she said curtly
and declined to be named.
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Kaisa were fruitless as he
was not at his shop, while his mobile phone was unreachable.
However, investigations by this publication revealed that
unscrupulous shop owners are securing the commodity from corrupt elements within
the conveyance chain.
Sources revealed that the well knit syndicate includes some
corrupt Government officials and politicians.
A shop owner in Mashukashuka Village, Mr Luston Mutsaru,
confirmed that he buys the commodity from “passersby who ferry the maize-meal
in a minibus”.
“We have bought that maize-meal on a number of occasions.
They sell it at US$3.70. We then sell it at US$4.50 per 10kg bag. I have never
bothered to ask our suppliers about their identity because l am only concerned
in conducting business.
“They actually tried calling me last nigh t(Wednesday), but
I missed the call as I was asleep. I think they wanted to bring another
consignment. They usually drop the maize-meal and come back to collect the
money later,” said Mr Mutsaru.
Mr Joseph Dzvairo, a Mashukashuka villager, said the
diversion of food aid from the less privileged to shop shelves has been going
on for quite some time.
“We wonder why these people are so heartless,” said Mr
Dzvairo. Ms Abigail Sithole of Chingome Village in Marange said they are buying
the donated maize-meal for US$5.
“That is the same price for other brands of maize-meal. We
have seen various trucks delivering the commodity to the shops. Some of the
vehicles are owned by known politicians,” she said.
Manicaland Province Development Coordinator, who also heads
the provincial Civil Protection Unit, Mr Edgars Seenza, said he was not aware
of the development. “This is actually news to me. I have not received any
report to that effect. I will assemble a team to investigate the matter and l
will duly avail the details after getting on the ground,” said Mr Seenza.
Donor agencies have scaled up their intervention programmes
in Zimbabwe following persistent droughts that have left some communities food
insecure.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a drought, aggravated by Cyclone
ldai which hit parts of Manicaland and Masvingo provinces. The drought caused
massive national crop failure, while the freak cyclone washed away remaining
crops and livelihoods in the affected districts.
According to United Nations report, Zimbabwe’s food
insecure population is expected to peak at just over 5 million, with 700 000 of
them in Manicaland. Manica Post
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