Posted by Thulasizwe Simelane
Harare – The Zimbabwean government appears confused over the assessment of the country’s food security situation. Following a tour of the countryside a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai declared the situation catastrophic. However, the Agriculture Minister Joseph Made now says it is too early to conclude that the harvest has failed, as the farming season is not yet over.
He blames western sanctions for the collapse of irrigation infrastructure on small-scale farms. “Those communities where the British and Americans have pretended that the sanctions have no impact – that is where the sanctions have an impact and indeed when the prime minister was visiting around he saw the state of irrigation schemes and they are only in that state because of the sanctions,” says Made.
The Red Cross says while $33 million is needed for emergency food assistance, donors have only pledged $7 million. A unity government formed by bitter adversaries President Robert Mugabe and Prime Tsvangirai last year said it needs at least $10 billion to fix an economy emerging from a decade-long slump. But key Western donors have withheld aid and demanded broad political reforms and assurances that Mugabe is ready to genuinely share power.
Ane Made or is it spelt, Mad, y dont u just close yo beaks and keep destroying the country, for it is the only profession u know.
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Mad (or made), been on another helicopter flight have we? It’s a shame your itinarery did not include flying over Harare suburbs where you could have seen industrial irrigation systems watering patches of flower beds. I wouldn’t blame you tho for the equipment nicely stashed in garages for safe keeping.
I am in the diaspora but I can tell you with conviction two places that are a write-off. MUTOKO & CHIWUNDURA. Just a phonecall to people who actually live there, Mad.
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still on sanctions, 10% of the world has sanctions on us. the other 90% (the whole of africa, all of asia, South america, middle east………..) don’t.
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Gava:
Point of correction brother, it is write off for those that did maize as main crop, some farmers heeded government warnings of planting drought tolerant African crops mhunga, rukweza nemapfunde, these crops are doing good.
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This idiot has been around for a long time, what good has he done overall? NOTHING.
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The ministers of agriculture in Zimbabwe do not admit that that there is hunger even if there are visible signs of hunger. When Witness Mangwende was in office as agriculture minister he disputed that there was hunger in the country yet there were no reserves at all. Made is saying the same because politically if he says that there is hunger it would be a blow to Mugabe. Very few farmers harvested this time. Zimbabwe needs cloud seeding which was being done by white farmers before land reform. To progress now ZANU PF has to harness plenty of water in rivers and dams to the fields and not rely on rain water. It requires a civil engineer not the farm manager, Joseph Made. There is plenty of water in Zimbabwe but the government lack the intellect to utilise it. For example Manyuchi dam in Masvingo and Osborne Dam in Manicaland are lying idle, a waste of money really.
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