Govt declares drought, but says no to food aid

The Zimbabwean government has officially declared 2007 a drought year, but insisted it would not ask for food assistance because it has the capacity to feed its own people.

Agricultural minister Rugare Gumbo told IRIN the government had issued the
declaration after a countrywide food assessment revealed that most provinces had been severely affected by a ravaging dry spell that had wilted crops, especially maize, Zimbabwe's staple food.

"Crops have dried up due to moisture stress and, as government, we saw it fit to declare this year a year of drought after an assessment showed that most parts of the country had been affected," said Gumbo. "Most provinces need food, but this will be done by government through its drought-relief programmes, coordinated by committees. We have the capacity and won't need outside help."

Last week, the official newspaper, The Herald, reported that the government would be importing 400,000 metric tonnes of maize, mainly from South Africa, to cover a possible shortfall that might arise after this season's harvest.

We don't have the money, what we need is free food aid

The most affected provinces, according to Gumbo, were Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Midlands and Masvingo, all in southern Zimbabwe, and
Manicaland in the west.

Traditional leaders and legislators, including those from the ruling ZANU-PF party, urged government last week to put urgent drought relief measures in place, as some areas were already in need of food supplies.

Outspoken governor

Angeline Masuku, governor of Matabeleland South and a top official of the ruling
party, who has been outspoken about the food crisis in her province, told IRIN that any delay in food aid could have grave consequences for many households.

"Southern Zimbabwe is naturally dry and because rains have been scarce this year, the drought that we are witnessing is unparalleled. There have been droughts in the past six to seven years, but the one we are witnessing this year looks more severe," she said.

"We have asked government to step up food distribution and hand over grain to families. The food will not necessarily be free to everybody, as the middle aged and able bodied will be asked to do some work before they can receive anything ... government has therefore promised to intervene urgently," Masuku said.

In rural Matobo, a drought-prone district in southern Zimbabwe, state-procured maize is available at the state-owned Grain Marketing Board (GMB) outlets, at the highly subsidised price of US$2.70 for a 50kg bag. The current informal market exchange rate is Zim$18,000 to US$1.

But, despite the low cost, villagers like Ellen Sibanda cannot afford the maize, and said they needed free aid. "We are just finishing the fresh mealie [maize] cobs that we planted in our tiny fields, and in a week's time or so we will be grounded. There won't be anything for us to eat." About 83 percent of Zimbabwe's population lives on less than US$2 a day.

Communal farmers pointed out that maize was often not available at the GMB outlets. "Even when it is there, some of us cannot afford it. We don't have the money, and what we need is free food aid, like what we used to get from World Vision and World Food Programme (WFP)," said one.

"Nothing in the fields"

The government called a halt to general feeding programmes run by humanitarian agencies and their nongovernmental organisation partners in 2004, saying the country was expecting a bumper harvest. Since then, aid agencies have downscaled their operations to target vulnerable groups, such as people living with HIV/AIDS and the elderly.

WFP is currently providing food assistance to 1.5 million beneficiaries through various feeding programmes for vulnerable groups.

"There is absolutely nothing in the fields here [in Matabeleland South]. People are already going hungry because the crops did not do well. We do selective distribution in compliance with government policy, but what looks apparent is that, ultimately, wholesale food distribution will be needed," an aid worker commented.

As the country endures its seventh successive year of drought, Zimbabweans are battling with shortages of food, foreign currency and fuel, on top of an annual inflation of more than 1,700 percent.

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