Food riots erupt at mealie-meal delivery in Bulawayo

By Violet Gonda

17 February 2006

A food riot is reported to have broken out in Bulawayo on Friday after a delivery of the scarce mealie-meal arrived at a local shop. 10 people were injured and windows were broken as riot police tried to control the situation.

There has been no mealie-meal in shops in the Bulawayo area for months now, and reports from around the country show that this basic food is in serious short supply. Millers in Bulawayo have been accusing the Grain Marketing Board of favouring large operations, who sell this major commodity at higher prices on the black market.

Bulawayo based journalist Raymond Phiri told us by the time a National Foods truck arrived with the delivery Friday, some people had queued for more than 3 days. He said chaos broke out as desperate Bulawayo residents pushed and shoved for positions, and others attempted to jump the queue.

Riot police arrived to control the crowds as some rowdy youths began looting. Many shop windows were smashed and people panicked trying to escape from teargas fired by the police. Phiri said the crowd eventually dispersed, but the police who remained were seen buying the mealie-meal themselves. Angry residents say this shows how police and government officials get priority, while the ordinary Zimbabweans struggle without this much needed food.

Bulawayo based Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube also told SW Radio Africa that people are dying of starvation in the country. The outspoken cleric said this is a direct result of the government’s ban on mass feeding programmes in parts of the country. Many NGOs that were distributing food were told to stop by the government which claimed they were supporting the opposition.

Ncube says that priests in some areas are burying at least 5 people a day as mass starvation grips. Despite this the government continues to interfere with food distribution. The worst affected are mainly HIV/AIDS sufferers, children and the elderly who are particularly vulnerable to a lack of food.