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Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
More than 800 000 people in the Midlands Province are facing acute food shortages by December, a survey has revealed.

Addressing Midlands Provincial Coordinating Committee, Midlands Provincial Development Coordinator Mr Abiot Marongwe said this came out of a survey carried out by Government recently.

Mr Marongwe said Gokwe North, South, Zvishavane and Mberengwa were the most affected districts in the province.

He said Government was stepping up food relief programme to ensure that there will be food security at household level.

“A report that I have shows that 800 000 people in the province will have nothing to eat by December or January. This is about 63 percent of the province’s population.

“At the moment we are feeding about 176 000 households, but the food is not enough. We have approached the Social Welfare Department, but our efforts are in vain.

“The most affected districts are Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Gokwe North and South. We do have food coming through Grain Marketing Board (GMB), but that is not enough,” he said.

Mr Marongwe said Government was reintroducing Food for Work programme to ease food shortages in the country.

“We have activated all our food relief committees in all districts.

“These will meet once a month. We have another food relief programme coming, which we know as Food for Work. This will also cushion people, particularly in rural areas,” he said.

Acting Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Dr Joram Gumbo said Government had already started importing maize to address food shortages.

“As Government, we are giving food security first priority.

“The majority of time during Cabinet meetings we will be discussing food issues.

“As we speak, food is coming into the country. Some is coming from Tanzania, some is being shipped and some is coming by rail.

“President Mnangagwa has reiterated that no one shall die of hunger in this country.

“We are making due diligence in contracting companies  will bring food.

“We had a problem of some companies in South Africa misleading us that they have maize so that they get money,” he said.