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Harare: Some 12 000 people are dying of hunger every month in Zimbabwe as president Robert Mugabe tells the world that the country needs no food assistance from outside, it has emerged.
Prominent economic analyst and newspaper columnist Eric Bloch made the revelation during the public taping of a television discussion series known as ‘The Transition’, sponsored by the MDC, on Tuesday night.
Bloch did not reveal the source of his information. However, he is known to have high level sources in government, the diplomatic and NGO sectors. It was on that basis that he was appointed special advisor to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
“Although there are no official statistics, 12 000 people are dying due to malnutrition every month,” Bloch said.
He called on Mugabe and Zanu PF to drop their opposition to Zimbabwe’s being classified a highly indebted poor country (HIPC), which would make the country eligible for the cancellation of some of its crippling $1,3 billion foreign debt. The move would also enable the country to reschedule some of the debt.
Mugabe and his officials argue that if Zimbabwe is classified as a HIPC country that could open the doors for regime change as the country would be forced to adopt new economic policies and follow strict financial management guidelines designed by the World Bank.
The Mugabe government has so far survived on dishing out money to sectors that could pose a threat to its survival, such as the armed forces, with no regard for basic management principles, according to experts.
Bloch said the government was currently spending huge amounts on paying its debts at the expense of social spending on food, health and education.
The United Nations estimates that 2.8 million Zimbabweans are in need of food handouts to tide them over until the next harvest expected in April 2010. Of this figure, only 600 000 are currently receiving food assistance from international donors.
Mugabe has refused to declare an official emergency, a move that could speed up the mobilization of food supplies. Observers say Mugabe fears that if he admits the country has serious food problems that would be an indictment of his disastrous land reform programme that destroyed commercial agriculture.
Written By: John-Chimunhu
Additional Reporting: (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)
So this is what you fought a war for
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If the truth be told, these guys don’t give a toot about the welfare and plight of ordinary zimbabweans.They are willing to cling on to power at the expense of ordinary zimbabweans.All they need to do is implement those outstanding reforms and we will get the much needed aid (whether it’s from the west, east or south).Because zimbabweans are hard-working, this country will be back on it’s feet in no time! The fear is that this will result in an illegal regime change but I say there is no way that can happen as SADC and the AU are there to ensure that does not happen and there is no way zimbabwe will be colonized again because zimbabweans will simply not sit back and let that happen!
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Chimhundu, unowanepi ko ma statistics ako? They appear to be very inflated, inaccurate and grossly exaggerated. 12 times 6 months is 720 000 vakafa nenzara kubva muna January kusvika July; as of now (October) – 120 000 vakafa nenzara! Ah iwe, at this rate munyika munosara musina kana one munhu ka in 2 years! Besides that, last season was a relatively good year in terms of harvest and subsistance farming – at least vanhu vane chikafu at that level. I think journalists have a responsibility to deliver accurate, well researched and validated info rather than base stories on inference or extrapolation. Who do you want to appease abaout national food security issues that you are drawing upon? You want to join Western payroll in a decent way kwete kutengesa kunonyadzisa kudai. Wadyei? Unoda kurutsiswa iwe!
Dear Munoda Mararike. It is definitely not our intention to inflate or exaggerate any of these figures. We only report from scientific or reputable sources. I hope these figures are wrong, but the evidence suggests that they are closer to the truth than those who are saying that Zimbabwe needs no food inputs over the next 9 months. (editor)
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For my fellow friend above to ask where Chimhundu gets the statistics is absurd and mind boggling bearing in mind Mr. Bloch is the source of information presented from him at the said function. Maybe M. Mararike has better and more accurate statistics. With massive hunger and starvation due to underfunding and high hyperinflationary environment the statistics are not pleasing plus or minus 12 000. He says the season was relatively good- my foot! what were the prices of seeds, fertilizers, tools etc when unemployment was +95% or maybe those in Buhera were quite ok when Gono was printing Zim$trillions and dolling out everything just like free candy at X-mass. He is in London and he gets illusions that all is well when they were sending their relatives few forexes and Morgan wasn’t given any dime but being channeled to NGOs. Ana museyamwa changamukai kwete kudhakwa kwana Claude, Jono Moyo, Dr. Chivaura who behave typically like Zanu-PF who have been urinating the independence cake up to 1998 and then worse off up to date – nhundira mutsime chaidzo- hezvouko bwa-hezvouko bwa. Gamu, Tendai and Norest think better than those useless arguements from people who can’t smell the coffee as Zanu-PF has gone beyond its best by dates.
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Even if the figures are wrong, the fact that some people are dying of hunger is unacceptable! Besides the reporter clearly states that the info was from Eric Bloch, so why do some of us rush to write comments without understanding the article?
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Dear va Flt. Lt. R. Makoni,
I think you rather want to confine this debate to academic level rather than personal level even if you show us that unozivana naana Museyamwa! The reality here is that Chimhundu is quoting primary sources of data that appear to be inaccurate and unverified. The fact of the matter as well is that whoever is responsible for compiling the 12 000 death rate per month is in themself too drunk kudarika Enock Block and the Juno who propelled falsehoods through this story – without cross checking or even expressing doubts as regards to the authenticity of the figures. Some of the statements that you allude to are simply reckness thinking from simple, parochial military minds!
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Mafigiri anenge akabikwa manhanga aya. Gono or no printed money, they still would not tally at all. The guy who did his multiplication above to a total of 72 000 death due to starvation in 6 months seems right to express doubt. Muno muZimbabwe hamuna zvakadero pa mathematics dzacho. Tinobva kumaruwa where we know our parents have plenty of food that they are not selling to GMB. What is the motive of Block publishing wrong figures in the first place? What does he want to gain? – We all know! No one supports hunger, nobody likes deaths at national disaster level, but there is a lot of lies in this report.
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The figures are wrong, PERIOD. People lets not exaggarate facts like that. 12 000 people dying every month is a national disaster. Haizi mumber yekutamba nayo.
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Yeah ryt!!!!
Its reports like this which brings credibility of media on Zimbabwe under unnecessary criticism.Its like the story of a woman who was beheaded in Karoi. Then you are suprised when reporters are given the boot by Mathibili. Its like the boy who cried wolf.
12000 my foot!!!!!
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SO SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD
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