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Zimbabweans must resist Zanu PF's partisan distribution of seed packs and food
Movement for Democratic Change
January 05, 2011

The MDC is dismayed by countrywide reports of partisan distribution of agriculture inputs by Zanu PF politicians and Cabinet ministers, which represent a sad and stark reminder of a culture of patronage and use of food and poverty as instrument of control and a political weapon. Using such base tools for political purposes is against the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement, much as it is a form of violence against the majority who are on record as having been impoverished by Zanu PF's history of tyranny and dictatorship.

Zanu PF is not a donor; has never been; and will never be.

What makes this practice disconcerting is that the food, seed and input packs were either sourced by the Inclusive Government or procured with resources from the national budget to which all Zimbabweans contribute through their taxes. The MDC calls on Zanu PF to stop this criminal abuse of critical national supplies and make allowances for an open distribution of essentials to all those interested in farming for the restoration of our food reserves and food security.

It is not secret that under Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono's quasi-fiscal activities, close to US$3 billion was carelessly dished out to Zanu PF politicians and supporters, with negative consequences that led to uncontrolled food shortages and famine. Other countries, like Malawi, which invested a similar amount during the same period, have become net food exporters. The current practice is a repeat of a tired Zanu PF tactic, albeit under the guise of a newly found pseudo-philanthropic desire to shore up its waning fortunes in the rural areas. The people can easily see through the segregation and the attempts to divide the poor - a weak strategy Zimbabwe rejected in March 2008 when the people tossed off Zanu PF from office.

What is clear is that Zimbabweans can never allow themselves to be dragged to the pre-2008 era. Their collective wisdom, experience and their new life they are enjoying today, thanks to the MDC, have left an indelible mark in their political behaviour. The people -- coming out of two indisputably, memorable Christmas and New Year breaks made possible by the MDC's entry into government in February 2009 -- know that the past was hell on earth, marked by an energy sapping war imposed by Zanu PF; they know of the hunger and disease they endured; and they have not forgotten the story of a total collapse of their existence caused by Zanu PF greed, avarice and corruption.

The MDC calls on the Inclusive Government to stop the Zanu PF practice as it has the potential of re-opening festering wounds; and is an affront to national integration and healing. We need not remind Zanu PF that the sourcing of inputs and other donations for poverty alleviation is a direct result of the MDC's efforts in the Inclusive Government. The party strongly urges Zimbabweans, especially the poor and vulnerable in the rural areas, to resist any partisan food and seed distribution programmes initiated by Zanu PF politicians. The food and seed packs are mainly from donors and government stores; and they belong to all the people, regardless of their political affiliation. As we enter in 2011, the MDC pledges to bury the Zanu PF system of patronage, segregation and partisanship in the availability and supply of national services and public resources to the people.

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