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Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
People in some parts of the Midlands province say the loss of diaspora remittances has impacted negatively on their livelihoods.

Most who were heavily depending on support from relatives outside the country said the Covid-19 lockdown brought significant limitations to the business of money transfer operators (MTOs) which migrants rely on.

Communities from Lower Gweru, Silobela and Chiundura who spoke to The Herald said the pandemic has affected their breadwinners in neighboring countries and the United Kingdom to an extent that they are now receiving minimal monetary support.

“We are going through a tough time as you know that most families in Midlands and Matabeleland provinces rely on our children who are working in South Africa and Botswana. While we are no longer receiving any money from them, we are worried more about their health security as the pandemic has also struck badly beyond our borders,” said Timothy Mangena, a village head in Chiundura.

He added: “We have been relying heavily on financial support from my three sons in Egoli. The border closure and restricted movements have left us stuck because they can no longer send any groceries. At one point my son sent some money through Mukuru money transfer platform, but it was a challenge to travel to town and access it. Private transporters are charging exorbitantly in the absence of public transport.”

Silobela resident, Alfred Ncube said lack of diaspora support has impacted negatively upon the elderly community who would regularly receive money to purchase drugs for chronic conditions.

“It is a difficult situation for the elderly especially down here in the rural community. My grandmother used to receive money for drugs on a regular basis but all that has been cut off.”

The World Food Program (WFP) recently appealed for an additional US$250 million to support millions of Zimbabweans at-risk of hunger. WFP has projected the number of food-insecure Zimbabweans to increase by almost 50 percent to 8.6 million by year end due to drought effects, economic recession, and the pandemic.

World Bank (WB) says Zimbabwe’s diaspora remittances which have been grossly affected by the Covid-19 lockdown were not likely to recover anytime soon.