Hunger has pushed elderly people including grannies into gold panning in Silobela District in the Midlands Province.
This was said by the Zibagwe Rural District councillor for Ward 29, Willard Moyo.
Moyo told The Mirror that villagers have no option but to sell the few cattle that they have in order to buy food while schools’ feeding programmes have ceased.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that used to provide food handouts in most rural parts have reportedly withdrawn due to an unfavourable political environment and government policies.
Moyo urged the Government to bring back school feeding schemes claiming school kids are starving. He said:
Most of the people in my ward including women have resorted to gold panning along the banks of the Gweru River.
The challenge is that Social Welfare food programs that traditionally give food to the less privileged have reduced the number of beneficiaries. We were told that the Government’s budget is limited.
We also used to receive food handouts from donors like the World Food Programme (WFP).
We appeal to the Government to increase the number of beneficiaries in social welfare schemes and to bring back school feeding programs before we die of hunger.
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This is nonsensical. In the middle of a rainy season, people are reportedly gold panning. Who is working on their fields? How can they be hungry when fresh produce are available from the fields. So where NGOs been dissuading people from working in their fields, to feed themselves.