Zanu PF turning flood relief centres into political rallies

By Lance Guma
16 January 2008

As parts of the country battle rising flood waters the ruling Zanu PF party is being accused of manipulating relief aid distribution centres to campaign for the coming March elections. Senior party leaders who have been dispatched to the affected areas are holding impromptu rallies and telling desperate villagers the aid is coming from Zanu PF. Political commissar Elliot Manyika and Ephraim Masawi, the governor for Mashonaland Central, have been cited as examples. Manyika told villagers in the province, ‘you have seen that the party leadership has its people at heart. We have been hit by this national disaster and we have acted swiftly to provide aid.’

Most of the aid being distributed has come from humanitarian and aid organisations but Zanu PF officials insist on presiding over the distribution. At one such ceremony Manyika went on to say, ‘you should not let enemies break this bond and fool you with falsehoods. The president loves you and that is why he has sent us.’ Party leaders are making it clear villagers have to vote for Zanu PF if they want to be looked after. The opposition has long complained about the use of food aid in the campaign for votes towards election times - despite talks in South Africa aimed at cutting out such practices.

A spokesman for the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, Fambai Ngirande, said the government was also not providing enough information to enable some of its member organisations to help. Adding to frustrations is government bureaucracy and paper work. The relevant government departments have also been rocked by a massive brain drain.

Last month’s flooding killed at least 3 people in Muzarabani alone, with thousands of families being displaced. The heavy rains have continued and authorities on Tuesday warned of fresh flooding in the Zambezi Valley, with more heavy rains expected later in the week. The Red Cross predicts the rains will last until April. Guruve and Muzarabani have been identified as the areas most at risk. Meanwhile Chiredzi, Bikita, Zaka, Mwenezi and Masvingo are said to have been cut off from the rest of the country because of damaged telephone lines, bridges, roads, electricity lines and transformers.