Scores of residents in Chiredzi District risk starving to death during this 21 day lockdown throughout Zimbabwe after Zanu PF MP Mr Farai Musikavanhu hijacked the government subsidized mille meal scheme meant to cushion the public during the Covid1-9 induced lockdown in Chiredzi.
The mealie meal was supposed to be distributed via local retailer OK Supermarkets to different wards through their councilors. However upon hearing that there was subsidized mille meal at OK Supermarkets Mr Musikavanhu abused his powers by forcibly buying all the mealie-meal at OK Supermarkets and making his home a distribution center for the whole constituency.
Currently all the mealie meal is being distributed from his home in Chiredzi and only known Zanu PF members are being allowed to get the mille-meal whilst the majority of the people have no access.
This also against the fact that by Zimbabwean law local councilors and ward committees are the ones responsible for food distribution.
Mr. Musikavanhu is not new to controversy and abuse of human rights; in 2019 he told a local meeting that no opposition supporter was going to receive food aid from government and Parliament summoned him to explain himself.
Masvingo Residents Forum upon learning of this incident engaged local councilors and the District Development Coordinator Mr Lovemore Chisema and currently a committee was setup which includes all local councilors from Chiredzi District, members of parliament, religious leaders, war veterans and traditional leaders to coordinate food aid.
However due to the actions of Mr Musikavanhu, communities are now at risk of starvation due to the reality that they do not have access to mealie meal which was hijacked and there is no accountability. Suffice to say that only known ZANU PF supporters benefited at the expense of the majority of people.
Source: Masvingo Residents Forum
