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Walter Mswazie recently in Mberengwa
About 12 000 villagers affected by Cyclone Dineo-induced floods in Mberengwa West early this year are in need of food aid. Acting Mberengwa district administrator Mr Rodwell Mutetwa said the district was yet to release the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee report.

He told journalists during Oxfam-organised media tour in Ward 13, Chizungu last week that several villagers in Mberengwa West had no food reserves as their homes, crops and livestocks were destroyed at the height of raging floods between February and March this year.

The most affected villagers, he said, live in Ward 24 where some were also displaced. “Villagers in 12 wards under Mberengwa West constituency are in need of food aid,” said Mr Mutetwa. “At least 12 000 villagers from these wards are in dire need of food aid.”

Mr Mashavakure said villagers in Ward 24 lost their homes, livestock and crops, while bridges were also swept away. “The flooded Mwenezi and Chingezi rivers burst their river banks and water found its way into villages destroying homes.” He said efforts are underway for Government to start providing food aid to the affected wards in the district.

Non-governmental organisations, he added, were also playing a pivotal role in responding to the natural disaster. “As Government, we will use the Zimvac report which tells us the exact figure of households that are food insecure.

“It is only these 12 wards that have been affected while other constituencies in Mberengwa had a bumper harvest as evidenced by the deliveries at holding depots at Mataga Growth Point in Mberengwa East and Mberengwa Grain Marketing Board depot,” he said.

Ward 13 Councillor Milo Zhou said most villagers were relying on buying mealie-meal from the shops while others with no means of income depended on handouts.

“The situation here is unbearable. Many villagers had thriving crops but we experienced raging floods which washed our fields and destroyed our crops leaving us begging.

“Most families were left with nothing to eat as the few food reserves were also destroyed when the homes succumbed to Cyclone Dineo-induced floods. Our only borehole was also destroyed by the floods.

“Most of us are buying mealie-meal from the shops as we did not harvest anything from our fields,” he said.

Mberengwa District, in the Midlands province, has 37 wards.