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Govt officials accused of stealing donated food aid
Vusumuzi Sifile, Standard (Zimbabwe)
August 31, 2008

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com/local/18830-govt-officials-accused-ofstealing-donated-food-aid.html

"We need to urgently finalize the outstanding matter of the theft of 20 metric tonnes of US Government donated food"

The United States government is demanding reimbursement for food aid that was allegedly stolen by government officials and police officers in June when the government banned the operations of humanitarian non-governmental organisations. This emerged in a letter to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Nicholas Goche by the American Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James D McGee on August 25, 2008. "We need to urgently finalise the outstanding matter of the theft of 20 metric tonnes of US Government donated food by Zimbabwean government officials at the Bambazonke police station on June 6," wrote McGee. The move could worsen already simmering tensions between the two countries, as the government - indicates McGee's letter - denied responsibility "for the disappearance of the stolen food and therefore not financially responsible for reimbursement of the commodities".

McGee insists that government is responsible. "Because the Governor (of Manicaland at the time, Tinaye Chigudu), police and military officers were directly involved in the events that transpired, responsibility for the theft does rest with the government of Zimbabwe," he said. "We again request your assistance to obtain a police report of the incident and to correct this matter through financial reimbursement of the stolen food." When the government banned the field work by humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on June 4, it argued that some of them were meddling in the country's internal affairs. Attempts to get a comment from Goche were fruitless. But in a televised statement on Friday, his Ministry announced that the ban had been lifted. "The government has with immediate effect lifted the suspension of operations of private voluntary organisations and NGOs," said the statement.

It could not be immediately established if the lifting of the ban was in direct response to McGee's letter, and another one by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday. In his letter McGee said the "draconian ban has turned an already dire situation into a potentially catastrophic one". On Thursday, Tsvangirai appealed to Goche to lift the ban. He said the continued ban was against the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Zanu PF and the two MDC formations on July 21. "The effect of the MoU and the joint statement signed by all parties was obviously understood to mean your letter banning NGOs from providing food aid and associated relief was immediately revoked," Tsvangirai said. The MDC leader said the situation had become so critical that there was "rampant starvation throughout the country". "In the circumstances, I appeal to you to immediately address a letter to all NGOs unequivocally countermanding your instruction, to allow urgently needed humanitarian work to be carried out in the country. Such a letter is obviously within the spirit of the MoU, our joint statement and indeed in the interest of every Zimbabwean."

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