Sunday, 21 July 2013 00:00
Bulawayo Bureau
First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe yesterday said villagers in Matabeleland South will not starve as long as she was alive and pledged to provide adequate food to the province.
Speaking at a star rally addressed by President Mugabe at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda yesterday, Amai Mugabe said: “I understand there has been poor rainfall and the
people of this province have nothing in their granaries so I have brought food for you.
“I pledge to provide regularly so that you do not starve. Matabeleland South should not starve when I, the mother of the nation, am there.”
Amai Mugabe said she was touched by the drought-induced circumstances of many villagers after being briefed by the provincial Governor and Resident Minister, Cde Angeline Masuku.
“The Governor briefed me about the hunger that has affected the people due to poor harvests, but I now want to ensure that everyone is fed and I will continually provide food for this province,” she said.
The First Lady then donated 10 tonnes of mealie meal; 10 tonnes of sugar beans; two tonnes of salt and 5 040 litres of cooking oil to the province.
The tens of thousands who thronged the stadium received the donation with gratitude.
The First Lady also gave the elderly food hampers.
In his address at the packed stadium, the President lamented recurrent droughts over the past few years.
“Droughts came one after another and as a nation we were affected greatly. Then when the inclusive Government was born, the nation was given false hope that food security was there yet in actual fact there was nothing.
“The inclusive Government was the worst Government ever since independence. It was born and things worsened, economic deterioration increased.
“You were deceived by the MDCs over dollarisation and by the fact that food was now available in shop shelves and thought all was well.”
Cde Mugabe said Zimbabweans could not afford to purchase imported foodstuff as industries were closed and many people unemployed.
Both President Mugabe and Amai Mugabe told the province that Zimbabwe is sourcing food from Zambia, adding that the grain would be distributed to needy areas on a regular basis.
On Friday last week, the First Lady donated more than 22 tonnes of foodstuff to thousands of villagers in Matabeleland North. She handed over the donation during President Mugabe’s star rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane. The consignment consisted of 10 000kgs of mealie-meal, 10 000 kgs of sugar beans, two tonnes of salt and 560 cases of cooking oil.
Labels: GRACE MUGABE
posted by MrK @ 12:19 AM
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