Food shortages looming while government hides crucial information

By Tererai Karimakwenda
16 September 2005

The veil of secrecy surrounding Zimbabwe’s food situation has thickened as the shortages have become more unmanageable. It is as though the officials in charge are afraid to reveal the truth because they think the public would panic. But Zimbabweans who have been standing in queues and searching for food on the black market know by now that the shortages are real. The whole country is aware that there is a shortage of food, fuel, seeds, fertiliser, foreign currency and so on and so on. To deny is dangerously misleading.

Last week the permanent secretary in the agriculture ministry, Simon Pazvakavambwa, dared to tell the truth at a meeting of business leaders. He said that the country had only three weeks' supply of maize in stock. For this Pazvakavambwa was reprimanded. The man should actually be praised. In South Africa and other countries, grain statistics are made available to the public. Yet Zimbabwean officials continue to guard this vital information.

Didymus Mutasa’s state security ministry has been given the task of managing the food crisis. But he seems to be managing it like a spy agency, keeping crucial information from concerned stakeholders. Maize and wheat have been designated "strategic grains" and information about them is "classified".
There is also a five-member ministerial taskforce on grain, which Mutasa runs as well. It includes Agriculture Minister Joseph Made, Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa, Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche. Unfortunately, there is nothing any of them can do. Critics say they are simply part of the problem.

Government has also turned to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeking assistance to boost agricultural production. On Thursday Agriculture minister Joseph Made met UNDP officials. According to reports, Made said they were reviewing the whole agricultural sector but nothing concrete was concluded.