Politics of Patronage and Relief Aid Frustrates PYD

Platform for Youth Development Trust is shocked and traumatized by the levels of mistrust, hate and gross partisanship taking place in Manicaland at a time that unity and compassion is needed the most to insulate the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai.

The social and mainstream media has been inundated and awash with pictures and videos of distressed calls from Cyclone Idai victims requesting for help and relief, especially in the ravaged areas of Chimanimani and Chipinge districts .Zimbabwe experienced torrential rainfall caused by Cyclone Idai from the 15th to 17th of March 2019 which caused high winds and heavy precipitation in Chimanimani and Chipinge.  The majorities of the affected families in these districts survive on subsistence farming and have little or no alternative source of income. The cyclone Idai has worsened the dire food situation. 

PYD has been part of the various civic society organizations and local community stakeholders who have been sharing information for the public and well-wishers to understand the gravity of the damage so as to provide basic relief and intervention. Whilst the humanitarian response from the local, national and international level has been overwhelming and touching, this is being soiled by heartless political vultures that are bending on wanting to score political value and mileage over a natural disaster such as Cyclone Idai.

PYD Director, Mr Claris Madhuku expressed dismay at some of the events that are already taking place in Chimanimani and Chipinge

“I have witnessed political jostling of men and women, some in their political party regalia wanting to control the food relief by using their partisan emotions and discretion. This is inhumane and must be condemned for shaming the morality of the nation” Madhuku fumed

Although the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services who is also Senator for Chimanimani Monica Mutsvangwa has refuted the allegations that there were Zanu PF structures, including former trainees of the Border Gezi who have denied food aid to victims purported to be supporting the opposition, evidence is overwhelming. 

PYD has observed that the issue of food aid and relief in rural communities has been at the Centre of local politics in rural Zimbabwe. Food aid has always been used as a weapon of influence and patronage rather than broader social justice and empowerment objectives. As community-based organization, PYD is fully aware that this practice will have negative effects on community development which is likely to result in increased vulnerability and the deepening of social insecurity to the victims of Cyclone Idai. Divisive politics during this disaster period must be discouraged because it makes communities vulnerable and deprived from genuine livelihood support by government.

Platform for Youth Development has also observed that the politicization of food relief is negatively affecting women and children in Chimanimani and Chipinge. Cynthia Gwenzi who is the Gender and Wellness Officer for PYD noted that 

 “When partisanship is used on food relief, it is the women and children who are disadvantaged the most because they will have no one to represent them without being exposed to the vulnerabilities of patronage and abuse. In most cases, partisanship leads to physical force which then discriminates women and children” Cynthia Gwenzi suggested

Cyclone Idai has affected Chimanimani and Chipinge districts the most by disrupting water and sanitation facilities, damaging road networks, cutting power supply and displacing people including loss of life. According to the Inter-Agency Rapid Assessment/Appraisal Update on Cyclone Idai disaster, 29 000 households were affected in Chimanimani and 21 000 households in Chipinge. At the same time, 8000 people were displaced in Chimanimani whereas 3000 were also displaced in Chipinge. The Cyclone Idai has inflicted damage to 37% (121 000) of the Chipinge rural population which are now in urgent need of food assistance with a total of 77% (114 000) also requiring food assistance in Chimanimani. The statistics from the inter agency rapid assessment update pose a grim picture as the source of livelihoods were wiped out as indicated by 24000 hectares of dry land that have been destroyed in Chipinge and 300 hectares in Chimanimani also facing the same fate. The death toll for Manicaland Province stands at 259 with over 300 people still missing. 

PYD has always raised this issue of partisan food distribution due to the fact that the victims are in dire need of emergency relief to the counter debilitating effects of cyclone Idai. To curb against this embarrassing situation, all political party structures must be removed from the food distribution process in favor of professional persons who are linked to those donating the aid.

Youth group advocates for progressive Ndau culture in Chipinge

Platform for Youth Development (PYD) is commemorating the 2019 International Women’s Day through showcasing cultural dances peculiar to Ndau culture at Matsuro Primary School in Musikavanhu Constituency. The commemoration which is expected to be attended by over 300 people will feature the popular Muchongoyo and Chokoto traditional dances from the hot pots of Ndau culture likeMuumbe, Zamchiya and Mariya villages.

The 2019 theme for the International women’s day is “Better the balance, betterthe world” and identifiable with the campaign #BalanceforBetter.This theme provides an opportune moment for PYD to join other like-minded organisations to celebrate and reflect on  the achievements made by governments and civic society in strengthening  the roles of women in societies. PYD is implementing a project for the past 28 months that seeks to empower young women and girls to confront harmful cultural practices in Chipinge district.

Platform for Youth Development would be taking advantage of this year’s theme to push for co- existence between men and women in the world but more specifically in Chipinge district where greater focus will be on social inclusion of women in community development.

‘We have adequately prepared for this event by involving key local stakeholders inclusive of traditional leadership and educationists from the district who will help to endear the positive values of the Ndau culture’ Cynthia Gwenzi who is the PYD Gender Wellness and Advocacy Officer said.

Cynthia Gwenzi further reiterated that the cultural event will confirm that the organisation has been closely working with the Chipinge community for the past 28 months when the project to raise consciousness on the emancipation of women was launched.

“We have a pool of 25 Gender Activists who are working in different wards of Chipinge to assist enlighten the community on the need to outlaw early marriages and domestic violence by re-emphasising on the sanctity of the family as the fountain of morality and self restraint” Gwenzi reiterated

Richard Mtetwa who is one of the Gender Activists from Muumbe village mobilising for the cultural event, expressed confidence that the commemoration will be an eye opener for the community in Matsuro.

PYD is of the opinion that culture can be a tool to fostering an environment that is permissive to tolerance and mutual understanding and where there is mutual trust, diversity and respect for minority so as to achieve#BalanceforBetter for our local communities.

The PYD Director Mr Claris Madhuku pronounced the commemoration of the International Women’s day as that opportunity for PYD to publicly show the outer world that Ndau culture is still rich and an embodiment of the values of peace, progress and unity that promotes community development.

“It is our responsibility as a community based organisation to advocate for an inclusive Ndau culture and heritage in promoting cohesion and gender equity among the natives of Chipinge district”  Claris Madhuku said

PYD endeavours to advocate fora community in which every individual has an active role to play based on fundamentalvalues of equity, equality, social justice, diversity,tolerance,freedoms and respect of human rights .

Looming Food Crisis hits Chipinge District – State Capacity heavily compromised

In a period still shaken by austerity economic policies and a highly contestable political space coupled with social anxiety, the el Niño induced drought is beginning to manifest its fangs in Chipinge District. The district has land for the production of maize and other drought-tolerant small grains such as millet and sorghum, which are all important food sources, as well as economic opportunities for the locals. However, maize and other small grain harvest is likely to be lower than the basic household requirement enough to feed more than 100 000 households in the district. Thus, the district is facing imminent food shortages that will culminate in hunger, rising levels of poverty and infant mortality rate.

It is evident in Chipinge district that the burden of food crisis falls unequally upon classes with the poorer populations and to some extent political outcasts bearing the greater burden. 

“The food crisis has brought into play issues of openness and accountability. As an elected Ward 22 Councillor, I have witnessed a subversion of local structures by people linked to Zanu PF. There is serious politicization of the whole food distribution process and as the elected I am being sidelined just because I ran on an MDC A ticket." Councilor Evelyn Mhuru of Ward 22 said.

This is exacerbated by the low level of state capacity to mitigate against food crisis, hunger and starvation in the district. The low level of state capacity is attributed to an empirical index of variables of the government’s ability to deliver on its central functions due to the scourge of corruption in our governance structures and the partisan management of food mitigation measures. The government’s strategies to counter the effects of the drought on local communities are limited by endogenous state capacity to combat food insecurity. The magnitude of the looming hunger and starvation is likely to progressively deplete state capacity as we have a non – functional economy coupled with an eroded governance structures. 

The early warning system for drought in Zimbabwe at the national level is not very effective if not non - existent. This is due to the fact that if there were effective monitoring and drought forecasting, then adaptive capacity can be enhanced hence the management program becomes proactive rather than reactive. 

Food crisis destabilizes social cohesion as it generates a number of demand and supply side shocks to homesteads including the loss of income. In Chipinge district biofuel development activities have acquired communal land, despite the fact that such land is integrated into rural communities’ livelihood practices, which depend on agriculture. The Greenfuel project resulted in the dispossession of local people from their farming land and other land-based livelihood activities, and is surely going to increase the burden from hunger and starvation. Differences in poverty rates are attributed to variations in household access to public services and limited infrastructure like road network in the district. This scenario is likely to leave a large percentage of the population in the district in dire need of food aid. The cumulative occurrence of these droughts in Chipinge district since 2002 has culminated in the stagnation of rural livelihoods and entrenched rural poverty. 

Clemence Dube of Manzvire village said that, “the crops are in a sorry state and the people have lost any hope of salvaging anything from their fields. Villagers are now looking up to the government for assistance, otherwise the situation will degenerate into serious famine in the district.” 

PYD is of the strong view that local institutions are a critical success factor for adaptation and mitigation of drought and food insecurity in rural communities. However, in Chipinge district, PYD notes with grave concern the ill – preparedness of local institutions in addressing the adverse effects of the looming hunger and starvation. These challenges require well-resourced institutions that can as well operate as channels for a drought early warning system at local level.