By Thane Musariri
In an interview with Change Radio, Opposition Mashonaland West Member of Parliament Hon. Mutsa Murombedzi addressed the recent declaration by the government of the 2023–2024 cropping season as a national disaster. She emphasized the importance of this declaration in mobilizing the Civil Protection Unit to intensify efforts to assist vulnerable communities in accessing food aid.
Honorable Murombedzi highlighted that, while the focus may be on the current agricultural crisis, it is crucial to recognize that Zimbabwe is grappling with multifaceted disasters across various sectors. She stated, “The country itself is already in a disaster,” pointing out critical areas such as unemployment, healthcare provision, water supply, education facilities, economic instability, infrastructure deficiencies, leadership challenges, confidence erosion, and power generation and provision issues.
Drawing attention to the interconnectedness of these crises, Hon Murombedzi highlighted that the newly declared disaster would exacerbate existing social challenges. “This recently declared disaster is just going to be riding on the existing social disasters that we have in this country and exacerbating them,” she emphasized.
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In addressing the current disaster, Murombedzi stressed the importance of tackling its root causes, particularly the underlying social issues she enumerated. She asserted that addressing these root causes is essential to mitigating the impacts of the El Nino-induced drought and ensuring long-term resilience.
Furthermore, the MP called for the impartial and indiscriminate distribution of food aid, urging authorities to refrain from politicizing aid distribution. She expressed concern over reports of food aid being weaponized, with opposition members being denied assistance in some areas. “We don’t look forward to this kind of scenario,” she remarked, emphasizing that hunger knows no political affiliation and that every Zimbabwean in need should receive assistance.
In conclusion, Hon. Murombedzi’s remarks underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address the intertwined social, economic, and environmental challenges facing Zimbabwe. By prioritizing impartial aid distribution and addressing root causes, the country can mitigate the impacts of the current disaster and work towards building a more resilient and equitable society.
Below is her full statement:
We have noted that the government has declared the 2023-2024 cropping season a national disaster so that the Civil Protection Unit can step up the efforts to assist our vulnerable communities in getting food aid.
We have to note that the country itself is already in a disaster, we have a disaster in employment, a disaster in healthcare provision, a disaster in water reticulation, you name, a disaster in education facilities, a disaster in inequalities, a disaster in the economy itself a disaster in livelihoods, a disaster in our roads, a disaster in leadership a disaster in confidence in the country, and disaster in power generation and provision.
All these are disasters that we have in this country, so this recently declared the disaster is just going to be riding on the existing social disasters that we have in this country and exacerbating them.
So in dealing with this disaster it is important to address the root causes of the social disasters that I just mentioned so that we lessen the impacts of the El Nino induced drought also we call upon those tasked with the distribution of this food aid to do so impartially and indiscriminately so that everyone gets without looking at political parties as has been happening in most areas food was being weaponized declining opposition members food aid so we don’t look forward to this kind of scenario we are all Zimbabweans everyone is in the hunger situation and they need to be assisted.
