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Maize being used to 'bribe voters', causing shortages
Kholwani Nyathi, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
January 13, 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801140517.html

Millers in Matabeleland say they have not received maize supplies from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) for the past two months, sparking a severe maize-meal shortage in the drought-prone region.

The disclosure comes amid allegations that Zanu PF politicians are using the grain to buy votes in their constituencies ahead of the elections in March.

Several Zanu PF officials, including a councillor in the Kusile rural district council in Matabeleland North, were arrested towards the end of last month for allegedly diverting to the black market maize obtained from the GMB.

According to Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) sources in the southern region, who insisted on anonymity, most of the grain was last allocated to them in November.

Last Thursday, only eight wagons of maize were dispatched to the GMB's Bulawayo depot, which the millers described as "a drop in the ocean" for the three provinces.

"I last received an allocation about two months ago and I have not been milling since then," said one miller. "It seems this maize issue has become highly politicised.

"We cannot comment on the situation openly because we might be struck off the register as happened in the past. But you must ask the authorities why they are starving people in this region."

The Minister of National Security, Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement, Didymus Mutasa was quoted in the State media as claiming that 2 400 tonnes of maize had been delivered to Bulawayo since the beginning of the year.

But maize-meal shortages that began around November last year persisted last week and most people said they were surviving on maize sold on the thriving black market.

Sources in the milling industry alleged a senior government official last month took five wagons of maize from the GMB depot and distributed it to his constituents.

"The GMB management was refusing to allocate maize to millers, saying it was meant for another province," said another miller. "When one of our colleagues called the minister on his mobile phone he came straight to the depot and ordered that the maize should be taken to his constituency."

Repeated efforts to get a comment from the GMB spokesman Joseph Katete were fruitless as he was constantly said to be out of the office and was not reachable on his mobile phone.

Reuben Dube, a senior Zanu PF official and the councillor for Malungu ward, was arrested on allegations of diverting to the black market 165 bags of maize meant for starving villagers.

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