Source: Food aid for Colliery employees – Sunday News February 18, 2018
Fairness Moyona, Hwange Correspondent
THE Government has donated 160 tonnes of maize to Hwange Colliery Company employees to cushion them from starvation as they have not been earning enough to meet their food requirements.
The 3 200 employees who received a 50kg bag of maize each last week, have gone for more than four years without full salaries, a development that rendered them food insecure and at risk of starvation.
At the beginning of the month, spouses of the employees marched to the company’s headquarters demanding their husbands’ outstanding salaries.
Matabeleland North provincial social welfare officer, Mr Macnon Chirinzepi said the move was meant to address the food problems faced by the workers.
“The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare through the Department of Social Welfare has from today (Tuesday) been giving Colliery employees maize after receiving an allocation of 160 tonnes for the 3 200 workers.
“This is a food deficit mitigation gesture after people complained they were food insecure because of salary challenges. This is a follow up gesture to the one done in 2016.
“The Government has seen it fit to give them something that will enhance their coping mechanisms,” said Mr Chirinzepi.
He said another consignment of 32 tonnes of rice and cooking oil had been dispatched and was expected in the coal mining town this week.
“We are also working on modalities to ensure that the employees get 10kg of rice each from a consignment of 32 tonnes together with cooking oil that is expected anytime this week. This allocation is specific for the colliery employees and other communities will benefit through other normal channels.”
Mr Chirinzepi said the Department of Social Welfare was not only offering food handouts to vulnerable communities such as orphans, elderly and persons living with disabilities but were also assisting in the provisions of medicines, disability equipment and social protection.
Employees who spoke to Sunday News said although the gesture was noble, more is still needed to address their problems.
“We appreciate what the Government has done but this is a short term measure. The bigger problem of salaries must be addressed. Our whole livelihoods are under threat as we can no longer afford to feed let alone send our children to school. So we call on the relevant authorities to address the core of these problems which is salaries,” said a worker who requested anonymity.
This is not the first time Government has helped the struggling workers. In 2016, the Government intervened by donating maize after workers complained of hunger.
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