Dear Hon. Webster Shamu: Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Mashonaland West,

I trust you are well.

Pursuant to our discussion, I hereby put in writing, which I will follow with official correspondence, my extreme concern at the transport charges being illegally charged to vulnerable people to access Government food aid.

In this instance, it was discovered that at *Madziyire Farm in Ward 13, Norton*, the social worker stationed there who would appear to be working in cahoots with some members of the ZRP is indiscriminately charging disadvantaged recipients of Government Food Aid in the form of maize, the charge of $1.00/bag of maize under the guise of transport charges. Anybody unwilling or unable to make the demanded payment is subsequently denied access to the maize.

It is my understanding that when Government disburses food aid to the vulnerable, all costs are covered, transport included and I am therefore at a loss to understand why a social worker would fraudulently demand further payment from people who are already struggling and in desperate need of the food aid. It becomes increasingly worrisome to learn of alleged police involvement in the illicit deal executed for personal gain.

I therefore urgently recommend that the food aid disbursement programme be temporarily halted to allow for an investigation to be conducted and further, that the concerned social worker be suspended pending investigation.

I trust that the matter will be treated with the urgency it deserves to prevent further prejudice to people already suffering and in dire need of the maize.

Yours sincerely,

*Hon. Temba P. Mliswa (MP): Norton Constituency*

CC:
* Hon. P. Kagonye: Minister of Labour and Social Welfare
* Mr. Shumba: Provincial Administrator, Mashonaland West
* Mr. T. Tomu: District Administrator, Chegutu