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Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter

The majority of vulnerable urbanites eligible for basic cash transfers under the food aid distribution programme have been registered, with the Government now mopping up the process.

This comes amid report that the transfers start month-end.

Government is rolling out a programme to give cash handouts to vulnerable people in urban areas so they can buy mealie meal, the equivalent of the distribution of grain in rural areas. 

A total of ZiG190 million (about US$13 million) will be disbursed every month till March next year under the Urban Cash for Cereal Programme; Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo has said. The transfers are for 1,7 million vulnerable urban dwellers facing basic food insecurity.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Permanent Secretary Mr Simon Masanga said the cash transfers are set to start monthend. 

“We have places in urban areas which have completed the registration exercise. We are still waiting for other areas to do the same so that we commence cash transfers by the end of this month. We are on course and the process is going smoothly. We have trained people so that they select the proper people to benefit from the programme,” he said.

Mr Masanga said food distribution is going well in rural areas adding that beneficiaries of cash transfers should be benefiting soon from the programme. 

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said for the maize meal distribution the Government had charged the private sector to import as much as possible during the period to March next year so that they can supply affordable mealie meal to the urban people.