Zimbabwe Human Rights Association Condemns Politicisation Of Food Aid

Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has expressed its disappointment with the continued revelations that government food aid programmes are being politicised along partisan lines, with some villagers being left to starve.

In a statement the organization said as the drought and food situation in the country promises to be a serious area of concern during the great part of 2016, it is the government’s primary responsibility to avert the hunger situation across the country.

“Children are among the many families that are in need of food supplements, and in the danger of being exposed to malnutrition. It is therefore inhuman and disgraceful for any government workers, or party functionaries, who have hijacked food aid programmes to expose needy families to the ravages of starvation merely for political ends,” reads the statement.

“ZimRights maintains that discrimination in government programmes on the basis of political affiliation is in violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe’s Section 56, apart from discrimination being itself a gross violation of fundamental human rights. Section 77 (b) also guarantees the right to sufficient food, where the government should work towards the realisation of that right.”

ZimRights said there have been reports of villagers in Mutasa barricading the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Depot demonstrating and handing a petition to the District Administrator, Tendai Kapenzi, over the politicisation of food aid at a time when most parts of the country are facing a menacing drought.

“This is not the first incident of politicisation of food aid in Mutasa in recent months after a ZimRights team in Manicaland in November 2015 unearthed similar practises at Manica Bridge, and received similar reports from Chivi and Mt. Darwin,” reads the statement.

“This also comes as there are reports in January 2016 that villagers in Matabeleland North’s Bubi Districts are being asked to produce ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party cards to access food aid.
ZimRights urges the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) to urgently look into the inhuman practise and make the necessary steps to rectify the situation as well as all stakeholders to pronounce themselves on this crucial human rights issue. Equally, ZimRights urges the government to refrain from falling into cheap politicking, when the whole nation is reeling under the effects of food deficits.”

ZimRights said while it is commendable that government is making efforts albeit slow to source for food supplements, the reports of discrimination in distribution of such aid makes unnecessarily petty and tragic of the entire food relief efforts being carried out using scarce public funds.

“ZimRights also urges the government to implement sustainable ways of dealing with the food shortages and drought mitigation in the face of persistent food insecurity,” reads the statement.
– Source-byo24