Villagers in drought-ravaged
southern parts of Masvingo are
on the brink of starvation owing
to crippling food shortages with
Government and donor
organisations still to deliver
assistance resulting in the price
of maize rising on the black
market in Zaka, Mwenezi and
Chiredzi.Maize traders, who are
reportedly importing maize from
Mashonaland provinces, are
flourishing in Mwenezi, Zaka and
Chiredzi where they are cashing
in on hungry and desperate
villagers with the price of a 20-
litre bucket of maize having shot
up over the past three months
from about US$5 per bucket to
US$10.
The precarious food situation in
southern Masvingo comes as the
GMB depots at Jerera in Zaka,
Nandi in Chiredzi and Rutenga in
Mwenezi are empty.
Government and the World Food
Programme recently announced
that they would soon start
distribution of drought relief in
southern Masvingo following
poor harvests which left most
households requiring food
assistance.
In Zaka, food shortages are more
severe in Benzi, Veza and Mageza
communal lands where villagers
say Government should urgently
provide cheap maize as they
could not afford to buy maize-
meal in shops.
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