Two villagers die of hunger as the politicization of food continues

By Violet Gonda

2 December 2005

We received reports that two elderly women died of hunger recently in drought stricken southern Matebeleland. According to villagers the latest deaths from starvation occurred at Nswazi village about 65km south of Bulawayo. Our correspondent Themba Nkosi said although the government has confirmed that about 300,000 people in this region are in urgent need of food aid, distribution is sparse as political factors are at work.

Village heads in Nswazi and Insiza were recently given powers to control the distribution of food and this has created problems for the villagers. It’s reported that people are asked to produce ZANU PF cards first to enable them to register for food.

Nswazi village is the home area of the Zanu PF Governor of Matebeleland, Angeline Masuku. The Governor is allegedly ignoring her people because the villagers once told her not to come and tell them to vote for ZANU PF during the parliamentary elections. Our correspondent said, “They told her right in her face that she shouldn’t preach ZANU PF politics as that area was an opposition stronghold. Masuku may have the information that people are dying but she could be ignoring them.”

Following a familiar pattern for Zanu PF officials, Governor Masuku appears to be using starvation as a way of punishing the people in her jurisdiction. The Governor herself was not available for comment.

The two women who died are said to have succumbed to hunger after they spent several days without food. The deaths were also confirmed by government officials at Esigodini who said the villagers in the area last received relief food 4 months ago.

Aid organizations like Christian Care, World Vision and relief agencies run by churches were this year stopped by government from distributing drought relief food. The aid agencies were accused by government of using their food to preach opposition politics. Aid agencies deny the charges.

The Grain Marketing Board depots in the province have run out of maize. Nkosi said one of the government officials at Esigodini, Dumisani Sibanda said the drought situation in Matabeleland South had become very serious. He warned that many people would die unless the government sent in food as a matter of urgency.