No hunger despite historic drought: Minister

Nqobile Bhebhe

Bulawayo Bureau

LANDS, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka has described the current drought affecting Zimbabwe as unusual, highlighting the absence of typical long food queues often associated with such periods.

He attributed this unusual situation to the astute leadership of President Mnangagwa, emphasising that the Second Republic was committed to ensuring no citizen goes hungry despite the drought.

During a brief presentation on the state of agriculture at the 8th National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Grounds in Bulawayo yesterday, Dr Masuka assured the nation of the availability of adequate and affordable food despite the unprecedented severity of the El Niño drought, the worst since Zimbabwe’s Independence.

“The El Nino drought is the worst since Zimbabwe’s Independence, yet it is the most unusual  drought, with no queues and no escalation in food prices. This is all because of the astute leadership of President Mnangagwa.

“We have enough food to feed 6.54 million people until March 2025, and enough to feed 4.5 million learners up to Grade 7 until April 2025. The Government is also distributing cash to 1.7 million vulnerable urban people,” said Dr Masuka.

The Minister further outlined the Government’s proactive measures to address the food security challenges.

“The Government is directly supporting 12.74 million people, which is 83.4 percent of the population.”

President Mnangagwa has consistently stated that no one and no place will be left food-insecure.

The Government has implemented measures to avert food shortages by ensuring food security at the household level for vulnerable families across the country until the next harvest.

In the 2023-2024 farming season, Zimbabwe and Southern Africa experienced El Nino weather conditions, characterised by low rainfall and extremely high temperatures.

Due to these conditions, farmers across the country watched their crops wilt during extended dry periods.