The meeting was to ban MDC-T and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters from
participating in the food for work programme. Femai said MDC-T and PDP supporters
should not have their names written as they were to get maize from their respective parties.
He claimed the maize from the Grain Marketing Board was meant for Zanu PF supporters
only.
On 15 June in Marondera West there was a distribution of maize by the department of Social
Welfare for the underprivileged. Village head John Mashapura of Mashapura village had
written names of all the people in his village but Councillor Douglas Chifamba refused for
some of them to benefit claiming they did not attend Zanu PF meetings. Chifamba claimed
that the people did not support their party and were not going to benefit from the party. The
maize was from the GMB and was being distributed by officers from the department of
Social Welfare according to the councillors’ list. Some of the people who were affected were
Fanuel Moyo* and Brian Pasipamire* whose names were left out.
On 17 June 2016 at Wuyu-wuyu Business Centre in Murehwa South there was distribution of
maize from the department of Social Welfare. The criterion that was used was that those
above 60 years were given first preference followed by those who were in dire need in all the
11 villages. Unfortunately things did not go according to plan for Sekai Gevha* who was
from village head Muchabaiwa Chirimutombo’s area. Sekai was not given the maize after
the village secretary was told by Tichafa Chitanda, a Zanu PF youth not to write her name on
the list because of her continued support for the MDC-T. Sekai reported her case to
Councillor Gilbert Danhahwa who promised she was going to benefit in the next distribution.
The next distribution will be done in July 2016.
On 17 June in ward 9, Matongorera village in Murehwa North at Matongorera village head
homestead there was a delivery by three trucks with maize from the department of Social
Welfare. It is reported that another truck was taken by Netsai Chisango ward 9 councillor of
Zanu PF. It went to her house where the maize was sold to retailers who resell maize. Most
villagers did not benefit as most of the maize was sold at the expense of the starving
community.
Mashonaland West
Dorcas a church based organisation from Chegutu was allegedly stopped from distributing
food in ward 24 of Chegutu West on 6 June. The organization is a ministry under the
Ambassadors for Christ church. The senior pastor Gwitima said he had gone to ward 24 with
the mission to help some of their church members with maize meal and cooking oil but the
village head Passmore Pasipamire and the ward councillor Ngonidzashe Mfudza said they
had not followed the government protocol of informing the councillor so they were not going
to distribute food. The village head had names of people mostly Zanu PF whom he wanted to
benefit and that did not go well with the church leaders who refused to follow the drafted list.
Mfudza then told them not to distribute the food since they refused to follow their rules.
However, the distribution was later done privately. The incident happened at Ameva
Secondary School.
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