Govt Predicts It Will Be Feeding 8 to 10 Million People By April 2021

The government has predicted that it will be feeding up to 10 million by the end of the 2020/2021 rain season or the time for the next harvest next year because of the consecutive drought that ravaged Zimbabwe in the last 2 years, The Herald reports.

This was revealed by Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavhima at a signing ceremony where the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and World Vision were renewing their Memorandum of Understanding. Mavhima said:

We are now feeding 210 000 people who require assistance. Currently, we are helping with cash transfers, to be reviewed to remain reasonable. There has been an increase for the need of social services as the informal sector has been forced to close because of the lockdown, but need for sustenance remains for companies, employees and families.

In the next peak hunger period, we probably will be feeding between 8 to 10 million people as we have had successive droughts. The situation has been made worse by Covid-19.

Meanwhile, government is having a hard time paying out the cushion allowance it promised 1 Million vulnerable people who were affected by the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

More: The Herald