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Pfumvudza Was Used To Swindle Money From Farmers - Report

3 years agoFri, 19 Mar 2021 15:33:04 GMT
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Pfumvudza Was Used To Swindle Money From Farmers - Report

The government’s popular farmers scheme branded Pfumvudza was reportedly used to swindle money from the farmers who were beneficiaries of the said program as they had to pay the truckers who delivered the inputs to their respective areas, The Zimbabwean Independent reports.

Zanu PF Councillors collected monies ranging from $1 to $2 in various councils wards countrywide supposedly to pay for the deliveries of the inputs under the Pfumvudza scheme.

The facts presented by the publication on the story state that:

  • 1,8 million tonnes of cereal and 360 000 tonnes of oil seed were delivered to a registered 1,8 million families for 290 000 hectares countrywide.
  • This mean 72 000 deliveries made by 30-tonne trucks to various wards across rural Zimbabwe.
  • A syndicate of Zanu PF councillors conniving with Agritex officers and GMB staff have been demanding amounts ranging from US$1 to US$2 from each household to transport the inputs.
  • The loads consisted of 600 by 50kg bags fertilisers which were transported at a cost of US$2 each. Some 5 kg bags of maize seed, 2 kg of sorghum, 50kg of gypsum were some of the several inputs delivered.
  • This means the councillors and Agritex officers  at least US$1 200 per truck.

A villager Matondo Growth Point in Chigodora spoke to the publication said they were told to pay for transportation of the inputs:

We were told that the government only managed to transport inputs to GMB depots and it was our duty as villagers to mobilise transport to our wards. I have paid for all the inputs I received because I was afraid of losing out. At one point I failed to receive inputs because I didn’t have the money,

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The development was reportedly confirmed by Mutare Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive officer Shepherd Chinaka who told the publication that:

We received reports at our offices that some members of the community are being asked to contribute some money to ensure that the aid gets to their distribution centres.

This is why we have raised this concern because we had prior knowledge that the government delivers for free. People are complaining about exorbitant charges

A Zanu PF official monitoring the deliveries told the publication that the committees that collect the money from farmers share the cash:

The committee pockets the money and shares it. I checked with some drivers who indicated that everything was paid for,” said a Zanu PF official monitoring the deliveries. In another incident I walked in on the committee sharing the spoils and they tried to bribe me.

The transport costs are handled by a committee led by the councillor and subject to willful use of the committee. No audit or accountability measures are taken to ensure that the funds are used for intended purposes.

Apart from purporting to pay for transport, the funds are used to pay community off-loaders, Agritex officers’ allowances as expenses incurred while arranging for the collection and distribution of goods from GMB. It’s not clear what happens to the remaining funds in the event there are balances.

A Zanu PF source that spoke to the publication said some councillors will  be blacklisted from campaigning in 2023 over the issue,

More: The Zimbabwe Independent 

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