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Community Assessment of the Food Situation in Zimbabwe June/July 2002: FULL REPORT
National NGO Food Security Network (FOSENET)
August 15, 2002

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Cost Barriers
Cost was identified as the major barrier across the majority of reports. It was noted that this was related to the cost of the grain, or the added charges for accessing it from informal markets due to transport costs and price increases. Grain prices were was found to be very variable across constituencies and from GMB and informal markets. Reported prices were:

• $995/50kg in Mutoko
• $1200/50kg in Nkayi
• $555/50kg in Tsholotsho GMB
• $560/50Kg in Gutu GMB
• $800/10kg in Chivi south shops
• $1200/50kg in Gokwe Central and Gokwe North GMB
• $650/10kg in Gweru shops
• $1 200 / 20kg in Gweru informal traders
• $1 000 / 50kg in Shurugwi
• $400 / 20 kg in Seke Rural
• $600 / 50kg Murewa South
• $875 / 90kg in Muerwa south
• $875/ 50kg in Marondera West
• $600 / bucket in the informal market in Gadzema (Mash West)
• $560/50kg in Mhonodoro GMB
• $900/50 kg in Honde Valley
• $850/10kg in informal markets in Harare

Reported prices varied widely: Within GMB sales from $11/kg to $24 / kg, while informal market prices varied from $20 / kg to $85 / kg.

Cost barriers were identified in 43 constituencies (33% of constituencies). Cost barriers were reported to lead to those with money accessing food over poor, elderly, disabled, sick people and children. Groups not accessing food from GMB were reported to be elderly and ill people, orphans, people without Zanu(PF) party cards, MDC supporters and people without IDs such as orphans and new settlers.

Limited GMB sales or barriers in access to GMB sales were reported to result in people buying from informal markets where prices were up to five times higher than GMB costs. Businesses are also reported to be selling grain at over the controlled price. Informal traders are reported to buy up food in urban areas and resell the food at significantly increased cost. Food sales have been reported from people’s homes.

"On July 1 there was a delivery of mealie meal at the shopping centre and a 10kg bag of mealie meal was being sold at $300" (Tafara)

‘If deliveries are made thenthe traders dash in and grab most of the commodities for resale just outside the shops at very high prices." (Hatfield/Epworth)

If reports are valid that marginalized groups such as the elderly and orphans have less access to GMB sales, then these groups are least able to afford the prices at the informal markets.

The areas identified as facing primarily financial barriers to food were:

Political Barriers
Political factors were reported to be affecting food access in 39 constituencies (33% of constituencies). This was primarily found to affect access to GMB food. The bias was reported in two ways: either through people with political access or authority (through Zanu PF) having priority access to GMB sales or people without Zanu(PF) cards or people associated with the MDC not accessing GMB sales.

Opposition party supporters were reported to have found difficulties in registering for maize grain with chiefs or ward chairmen in some areas, meaning that they would not access GMB distributions based on the lists. Zanu(PF) youth were reported in a number of areas to be at the GMB depots and screening who is allowed to buy maize. In some places report was made that a Zanu(PF) card is asked for to purchase maize.

"Maize grain is accessed from the GMB through the local councilor. Top Zanu(PF) officials and war veterans compile a list of members and forcibly demand the grain from the GMB officials otherwise they will be fired if they refuse to sell them the grain… Those suspected to be MDC supporters do not access the grain because they will be chased away from the queue or have their names cancelled from the councilors list of grain recipients even if they want to buy. You have to be a Zanu(PF) supporter in order to access the grain." (Jerera).

"Party youths were making sure that only their party supporters bought the maize. Other people and opposition supporters were told to go and ask Morgan Tsvangirai for food whom they voted for." (Gwanda South).

In one report showing an MDC ‘badge’ was reported to enable people to obtain a carton of sugar while others were allowed to buy 2kg.

Political interference was reported less commonly in the distribution of relief food by non government agencies. In Binga report was made of relief food from CCJP being barred from distribution to schools , due to accusations by Zanu(PF) youth that the agency was allied to the opposition. Children who were the targets of the relief were reported to have not accessed food relief since May, reports were made of school dropouts and some reports were made of children fainting from hunger.

Other cases of direct interference were noted:

"On the 9^th July people were gathered at Thichidza T/ship. They were to be given maize by a food aid group (named). The group only managed to give about 10 people and Zanu (PF) youth started beating the organisation’s workers saying that they were MDC workers. They said that on opening the 10kg mealie meal they had given in the past days they had found small pieces of papers written Naini Ndakupai Tsvangirai. They threatened to kill the organisations workers if they come to Thicihdza again."

"The (named) Church in Nyanga has tried to give people food but was ordered to stop by the war veterans saying only Zanu(PF) can distribute the food." (Nyanga)

"While everyone is given food in the day , during the night war veterans go and confiscate the food from those suspected to be MDC supporters" (Manicaland).

One report was made that people in the area did not understand the basis for the distribution of relief food by one of the agencies (Hatfield/Epworth).

Constituencies where political bias in food access from any source was reported are shown below.

Other Barriers
In some areas it was reported that there is a requirement for one have a letter from the employer to access food. Unemployed people are not able to get such letters and are thus dependent on ward chairmen or councilors for such access. In some areas elderly and child headed households are reported to face difficulties accessing through these methods.

In Murehwa South access to GMB maize was reported to require production of an ID card to prove local residence. This type of system is reported to create difficulties for resettled people who come from outside the area.

Urban people noted that the usual practice of accessing food through families bringing in grain from rural areas was now being stopped by police, undermining food access in urban areas. Further those in formal employment face problems in that they can only get to shops after hours when any stocks will already have been sold.

Inequitable access and speculation
While cost was the major barrier to food access, the reports indicated a further problem of speculation taking place using basic food commodities by those with greater access, due to economic or political factors.

"Political interference in the operations of the major food houses and black marketeering are the major threats to food security in Bulawayo."

In 11 constituencies, nepotism or corruption was reported to impact on food access, with local business people, GMB officials or local leaders reported to be involved.

"A truck load of maize arrives at the depot and non existing names are called out and then people are told that since these people did not come to collect the maize then it should be taken elsewhere. The maize is then divided amongst the officials for resale at exorbitant prices." (Mvuma)

It was reported in one area for example that people with influence (due to political or economic factors) were able to buy maize from GMB through the DAs office and then resell this on the black market at $1 000 for a bucket. Supermarkets were reported to be selling ‘behind back doors’ to influential people. Preferential access to GMB maize was cited to be stimulating a proliferation of informal retail outlets where a 20kg bag of maize meal sells for $1 200.

"People are buying grains from illegal dealers who sell a bucket of maize grain at $1 200" (Chivi)

In one Midlands constituency an individual with political connections was reported to have collected money from people for food and bought GMB maize. He is then reported to have resold this at high cost, given people back their original funds and kept the profits, leaving people without food. Shopworkers were reported in a number of cases to have preferential access and to be selling food on in informal markets. One report was made of conditional sales, with shops requiring purchases of above $500 of groceries to be allowed to buy sugar, mealie meal or cooking oil.

A number of reports were made of police stopping sales at above controlled price costs. However, a number of reports were also made of preferential access being given to police to food when called in to control crowds where food is being distributed or to stop sale of foods at above control prices. In St Mary’s Chitungwisa this was reported to have led to clashes between police and community.

In areas where the councilor and GMB manager both worked to ensure fair access reports were made that people were happy that food distribution was free from bias and corruption. The role of the GMB manager in saying no to corruption was noted.

Corruption in use of relief food was suggested in two reports in urban Harare. In one case the report was of informal sale of relief foods and in another of misuse of relief food intended for ill people. Lack of understanding in the community of selection criteria for relief was also reported in several cases.

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