A government’s maize meal distribution program failed to kick off here as local retailers failed to pay Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) upfront for the delivery of the subsidized product.
GMAZ yesterday delivered eight hundred metric tons of subsidized roller meal earmarked to benefit the vulnerable members of society, but local retailers failed to pay upfront putting on hold the program.
Spokesperson of GMAZ said this was minor setback which they anticipated and they are negotiating with the retailers to raise funds as the project run under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce required accountability.
He made assurances that the delivered maize meal will be sold out despite current challenges, which he said had also been encountered in other cities that have also benefitted from the programs so far.
Chaunza said supply of subsidized maize meal was the contribution of industry to adequate food supply to rid of congestion and promote social distancing during the coronavirus lockdown.
“We have 800 metric tons of roller meal that we have brought to Mutare and we intend to distribute it to where the people are, as we are currently under lockdown we want to promote social distancing.
“So to stop the spread of the coronavirus our intention is to get the products where residents are.
“We encountered a minor problem with the retailers because most of them could not pay upfront, but the program requires us that we get receipts and delivery notes so that we account for every pack of maize meal.
“The arrangement is that retailers pay upfront and we give them the mealie meal…we give the retailers the 10kg mealie meal at ZWL$63 and then they sell at ZWL$70,” said Chaunza.
Minister of State for Manicaland Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba who received the consignment on behalf of government said this program is targeted at vulnerable members of society and should not be hijacked.
She also sounded a warning to politicians not to seek mileage from this program as it is meant to cushion the vulnerable who have been hard-pressed by economic difficulties.
“Our economic situation has not been good for a while, industry is closed and people are not working also during the lockdown all business is down and closed including those informal traders they don’t have money.
“The only money they have is probably the savings they have from the businesses that they had been carrying out and the intervention that the government is going to give targeting those that have been identified as vulnerable.
“We can’t have people who can afford also benefiting from that subsidized roller meal… we have also agreed that this facility be extended to the rural areas, so that all people have access to government’s subsidized roller meal.
“Hands off politicians from this program…government’s subsidized roller meal is apolitical, it’s not a political game where politicians would ride on this program and get popularity from the masses,” said Gwaradzimba.
