Nkosentsha Khumalo
A Lawmaker in the Zimbabwean parliament has expressed concerns over the effectiveness of the government’s food quality control system, especially in relation to the drought mitigation program.
Earlier this year, allegations of poor quality maize being distributed to hungry villagers in Matabeleland South’s Mangwe area were brought to light by a source.
The grain, reportedly distributed by the Social Welfare Department, appeared to have been affected by weavels, according to pictures sent to this publication by the source.
The source claimed that villagers were dissatisfied with the quality of the maize distributed by the Social Welfare Department, saying that it was rotten and not suitable for consumption.
A villager from Mangwe attending a Gukurahundi Community Outreach program in Bulawayo supported the earlier claims by the source, stating that the government had distributed maize through both the Social Welfare Department and the Chief’s Granary Reserves.
However, the first batch from the Social Welfare was reportedly damaged and not fit for consumption.
The villager added that the grain delivered later was of better quality and edible.
The issue of rotten maize was recently brought up to the forefront of debate by Emakhandeni-Luveve Member of Parliament (MP) Discent Bajila during a Parliamentary debate yesterday, who questioned whether the Ministry of Agriculture was only checking the quality of food at the point of entry, or whether there were ongoing checks until the food reached the final recipients.
“My question is going to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Honourable July Moyo. I would like to find out the Government’s food quality check policy for the drought mitigation programme. Do they check the food quality only at the point of entry or there are checks until the last depot where it gets to be received by the beneficiaries?. “
The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Hon. J. Moyo, responded by explaining that the Ministry of Agriculture was responsible for checking the quality of food. However, he also encouraged lawmakers and members of the public to report any instances of poor quality food, so that the issue could be addressed.
“The food quality is assessed by the Ministry of Agriculture, they are the ones who are responsible for
sanitary checking all our food systems. However, sometime when there is food distribution and our people complain that the quality is not good we take it back to the Ministry of Agriculture. We have done that even with the food that is distributed by our partners when the quality is substandard like the one that was being distributed in Mangwe.
“We were able to take it back to the Ministry of Agriculture and the quality of the food was improved. So, if there are any Members who feel that the quality of the food whether its wheat or maize is not suitable for consumption by our people, we want you to bring it back so that we can check.”
“Also, our people must continue to have food that is fit for human consumption even in these times of El-Nino induced drought. So, that is what the Ministry of Agriculture does but everyone of us here can be a monitor to see that the food is good for consumption,” said Hon. Moyo during the Parliamentary debate.
Honourable Bajila, however further elaborated on the difficulties that recipients face when they discover that the food is of poor quality after receiving it.
He suggested that there should be a platform or system by which people can give feedback about the quality of food they receive, even after they have already left the distribution centre.
“I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for the response because he brought some clarity on the issues. Often times recipients will take what is available to them at that point when it is being distributed. They will only get to know of its quality long after they have arrived at their homes.”
“Is there a platform or a system by which this report or quality feedback can be given?
“I have been to Matobo Ward 3 and 6, Insiza Ward 3 and I have seen a pattern. I think if there could be a platform by which if people discover that there is need to send some feedback on the quality of food they received, that platform needs to be known so that even if they discover it long after receiving, they can still bring back the feedback, “said Bajila.
In response, Hon. Moyo emphasized that every food distribution center in the country has a complaints desk that handles both complaints about food quality and those left out of the distribution chain.
He urged people to be vigilant about food quality and report any substandard food to the Social Development officers or District Food Relief Committee, who have representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring that the food distributed is fit for human consumption.
“Again, let me emphasise that at every food distribution center throughout the country, we have a complaints desk. These complaints must relate to food quality. It can also relate to people who are left out of the food distribution chain and that food complaints desk is there to assist.”
“What we need to do is to educate people about is that they should be vigilant about food quality. I would also urge that anywhere where you see substandard food, bring it to the Social Development officers, to the District Development Committees and the District Food Relief Committee, they will be able to validate because in that food distribution committee there is somebody from Ministry of Agriculture who can quickly take remedial action. “
“We must not distribute food which is not fit for human consumption. So, I urge all of us to disseminate that information.”
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