Chiefs attack Mugabe's govt for failing to deliver

BULAWAYO - Chiefs, who are attending their annual conference here, blamed the government on Wednesday for failing to provide food to the people, especially in rural areas.

The traditional leaders appeared uncharacteristically frank in their remarks at the four-day conference, which started on Tuesday.

Mugabe officially opened the conference earlier today. 

They complained of rampant corruption, involving senior politicians, the army, police and civil servants in the distribution of maize and farm implements.

One chief even jolted the Deputy Minister of Agriculture David Chapfika, telling him that the rosy report on food imports and distribution that the minister had made to the gathering was not reflective of the dire hunger stalking the rural folk.   

“You are not going to the ground to see the situation there,” Chief Chiweshe, from Mashonaland East told the visibly shaken deputy minister.

“You are not going to the Grain Marketing Board depots to see what is happening there. If you were, you would not be reading that speech which was written for you, because it’s very different from what is happening on the ground.”

Chiefs are generally seen as pro-government, but this time around, they apparently chose to be honest about the hunger that is most visible in the countryside.

Reports of near starvation have been told over the past few months after the government banned food relief agencies from operating. 

Although the ban was rescinded last week, millions of people, who depended on food handouts from non-governmental organisations, are living on the brink of starvation as the NGOs’ work is still limited.   

“There is hunger in the countryside,” Chief Chiweshe continued.

“The tonnes of maize that you are talking about are not reaching the people. Perhaps there is no hunger at your home. Grain is being moved, but we don’t know where to.”

The traditional leader said this after Chapfika had presented a report, giving details of the food imports.

Chapfika acknowledged that the country was failing to import enough maize.  He said the country is receiving between 10 000 and 25 000 metric tonnes of maize weekly far less than 35 000 tonnes needed for weekly consumption.

The government has imported some 221 000 metric tonnes of the staple from October last year.  Some 880 000 tonnes are still to be moved in out of the 1,1 million metric tonnes that have been ordered.

Another traditional leader, Chief Makore from Gutu lambasted politicians for selling maize on the thriving black market in foreign currency.  This makes it impossible for the ordinary villager to buy the maize, said the chief.

“This country is being destroyed by chefs. Those who are called honourable. After voting for them, they forget about us and treat us like fools,’ he said.

Chief Fortune Charumbira, a senator and president of the Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs, said the provincial food taskforces, that draw officials from the army, CIO and other civil servants were leading in corrupt deals, especially in Masvingo.

“In my area,” said Chief Charumbira, “even members of the district taskforce are complaining, because members of the provincial taskforce are not doing their job properly. They are enriching themselves because of side-marketing of maize and we know some members of the taskforce who are building mansions.”

He added:

“Elections are gone and we have to be frank because during elections, we tend to hide some things.  We need to say the truth otherwise we will sink together."