KEY POINTS
- ZEAT claims agricultural aid is given only to Zanu PF supporters.
- ZPP reports coercion of villagers during food aid distribution.
- Zanu PF denies allegations, citing commitment to serving all citizens.
A Zimbabwean election watchdog has voiced concerns over the ruling Zanu PF party’s suspected partisan distribution of agricultural inputs amid the current drought-induced lean season brought on by El Niño.Â
ZEAT alleges partisan allocation of agricultural inputs in Manicaland
According to the Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust (ZEAT), government funds meant for farmers are being distributed according to political affiliation, depriving poor areas of much-needed assistance.
In an interview with NewsDay, ZEAT executive director Ignatious Sadziwa charged Misheck Mugadza, the minister of devolution and Manicaland Provincial Affairs, with enabling the purportedly biassed aid distribution.
Sadziwa claims that in certain parts of Manicaland Province, agricultural supplies referred to as “presidential support” have only been distributed to Zanu PF loyalists.
Sadziwa stated that Mugadza, the minister of provincial affairs, works closely with traditional chiefs who are purportedly representing Zanu PF.Â
Mugadza, who represents Mutasa South as a lawmaker, has refuted these claims. “I’m not aware of any reports like that. “I will personally investigate the reports and address the matter if I receive them,” he told NewsDay.
According to newsday, Similar problems have been documented by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), which charges Zanu PF with utilising food aid as a political ploy. 15 incidents of alleged violations nationwide where government-sponsored food aid was disbursed based on political loyalty were documented by ZPP in its most recent findings.
Zanu PF denies allegations, claims inclusivity in aid distribution
The ZPP study claims that before obtaining food supplies, residents in some places are forced to recite Zanu PF slogans and give political figures accolades. A resident in Ward 23 of Silobela was reportedly refused away in one instance after raising concerns about the political intentions underlying the aid distribution.
In certain regions of Manicaland, food aid was purportedly stockpiled and denied to the most disadvantaged residents due to collaboration between traditional authorities and politicians, according to the ZPP study.
The results support ZEAT’s claims and show pervasive prejudice in the distribution of food and agricultural assistance.
Zanu PF has categorically rejected any misconduct in spite of the allegations. The party’s head of information, Farai Marapira, brushed the accusations off as unfounded.
According to the president, the party benefits all Zimbabweans, irrespective of their political membership.Â
Referencing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mandate that the government serve all citizens, whatever of their political inclinations, Marapira underlined the party’s dedication to inclusivity. “Our leader, who claimed to be a leader for all Zimbabweans, is our guide,” Marapira continued.
