Tonnes of food aid piling up at Zimbabwe border
By Tererai Karimakwenda
15 August 2005

It has been revealed that the food aid from South Africa that is being held up is not the only consignment waiting for clearance from Zimbabwe officials. Thousands of tonnes of other emergency aid are reported to be held up by Zimbabwean red tape. Tony Hall, the United States food ambassador who visited Zimbabwe, told reporters at the weekend that 10 000 tons of food were waiting for an import licence in Durban, while 15 000 tonnes, already inside Zimbabwe, needed permission before it could be distributed.
Hall also complained at a news conference in Harare that he had been banned from inspecting conditions at Hopley farm outside Harare, where old people were reported to be dying.
As we reported last week, soldiers there said they were under orders not to allow visitors without proper paper work. But no-one seems to have been granted permission to enter the camp, not even Zimbabwean church groups attempting to bring food.
Hall is widely respected as one of the world's most experienced and senior diplomats dealing with humanitarian relief. Having experience in 115 countries, he said Zimbabwe was "one of the most difficult" countries in the world to work in and distribute aid. He also added "There is no place for politics when it comes to feeding hungry people." Hall later pledged nearly US$52 million for food aid in southern Africa. About 40% of that amount is expected to go to Zimbabwean relief.

As for the food organised by the South African Council of Churches, deputy secretary-general Eddie Makue said two of the three trucks had not been issued a duty-free certificate. The truck with blankets is reported to have left for Zimbabwe Saturday morning. It has yet to arrive.
As for the trucks sent by the South Africa Council of churches, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Densen Mafinyane, repeated the excuse that the Zimbabwe government is using, saying that regulations against genetically modified food had held up progress. Like other officials involved, Mafinyane did not seem to have much other information about the shipment.