via ‘Decentralise grain distribution’ | The Herald August 5, 2015
The Minister of State for National Security Cde Kembo Mohadi, has called on the Government to consider decentralising the distribution of grain in the country’s 10 provinces.
He said the current situation where everything was being done in Harare had many disadvantages, especially for people living in the farthest areas from the capital.
The minister who is also the legislator for Beitbridge East Constituency, made the call while updating Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko during his visit to the district last week.
“Beitbridge is located some 600 km from Harare and most of the time, it is difficult to move grain to this area because of distance and transport logistics. We are appealing to the Government to decentralise the distribution of grain to the provinces, which are easily accessible to the people in various districts” he said.
“Furthermore, the Government should consider giving import licences to those business people living around border towns so that they can augment supplies through imports from neighbouring countries including Botswana and South Africa”.
He said most areas in the Matabeleland region were in need of food, but the cost of transporting grain from Harare was beyond their reach.
Cde Mohadi said Government should create more grain distribution depots and repair some bad roads in remote areas.
“The bad state of the roads is hampering the monitoring of Government projects especially grain distribution.
“It is high time that the District Development Fund (DDF) is recapitalised so that it can effectively implement its mandate,” he said.
He added that it was important for Treasury to avail adequate resources for livestock production and irrigation farming in drought-prone areas.
“We need to resuscitate our major irrigation schemes and complete some of the related projects including the 63 km Zhovhe-Beitbridge canal, which will augment the town’s water supplies at the same time promoting irrigation farming on its course to the town,” he said.
The Government needs about $23 million to construct the canal, which has remained a perennial talk point.
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