As Zimbabwe faces mass starvation, Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been left with an egg on his face after it emerged he lied when he claimed that no one in the country would starve and that government had purchased enough grain and other foods to feed every person in the country.
 
During bi election campaign rallies early June, Mnangagwa told Zimbabweans the country was well resourced on food aid and that no one would starve.  He even claimed that government had paid every dime needed to cover for a whole year.
 
But he yesterday exposed himself when he admitted at least $300 million is still required to import food due to the poor harvest that was recorded during the 2014-15 season. The government does not have even a fraction of that money, Mnangagwa humiliated himself revealing.
Speaking during the official launch of the Zimbabwe Zero Hunger Strategic Review Report yesterday, Mnangagwa said Government was sourcing the funds from different stakeholders to assist the drought affected areas.
“Approximately $300 million is required to import food to cover the deficit and see us through to the next harvest, hoping that it will be significantly better than the current one,” he said.
“While we need 1,4 million tonnes of maize a year for consumption, our produce for the 2014-15 season has gone down by approximately 49 percent.
“I am therefore calling upon all our partners, from development agencies and the private sector, to assist us in providing the necessary resources to ensure that none of the communities nationwide is exposed to hunger and starvation.”
The Zimbabwe Zero Hunger Strategic Review Plan, which was produced by the World Food Programme, is aimed at reducing food shortages in the country.
The objective of the review report was to establish a comprehensive understanding of the context and status regarding food and nutrition security and facilitate development of a national zero hunger roadmap.
The report reviews relevant statutes, protocols and frameworks at national, regional and global level that underpin Zimbabwe’s response to food and nutrition security.
“I am encouraged by the observation from the review that the country has a conducive policy environment and has put adequate structures to address food and nutrition security,” said the Acting President.
“All we need to do then is follow up with carefully crafted monitoring and evaluation plans to ensure an implementation process that leads to observable results.”
Mnangagwa said the initiative by the World Food Programme was capable of enhancing community resilience through diversified agricultural production.
“The initiative integrates principles of sustainable land management, gender main streaming and food security,” he said.
The launch of the report was running under the theme: “A Zimbabwe free from hunger and malnutrition”.