“Zimbabwe in a state of emergency”

  1. Posted on Saturday 27 September 2008 - 12:30
    conrad
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    Conrad Dube Mwanawashe, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
    Zimbabwe is in a state of emergency in the area of food security and the consequences could be disastrous, Tsvangirai said. He said an inclusive government must be formed to deal with the crisis. Uncertainty with the conclusion of the negotiations was causing unnecessary anxiety and agony, he added.
    zimbabwe_farmers_Mugadza_Munyaradzi
    Tsvangirai met with food security experts, food manufacturing companies and farmers in order to ascertain the quantities of food available for this season. He also sought the capacity of food manufacturing industry to deliver the required quantities and the state of preparedness of the farmers. He said the deepening food insecurity will require significant amount of food for an estimated 5.1 million people.

    “I am sad to report that my preliminary findings in this exercise show a state of emergency in the area of food security with disastrous consequences if we take too long to attend to the crisis,” he said.

    "We need to respond to this crisis with utmost urgency. It is therefore imperative that a government be formed in the next few days and begins to implement plans to insure that our people have food and do not die of starvation," Tsvangirai said.

    Painting a gloomy picture on the country’s industry, Tsvangirai said industry had totally collapsed with the food and manufacturing industry operating at 10% of its capacity.
    ”Our industry has totally collapsed with mining operating below 5 percent capacity. The food and manufacturing industry is working at 10 percent of its capacity and therefore will not be able to deliver sufficient supplies to the market in order to contribute to the national food requirement,” he added.

    Zimbabwe, according to Tsvangirai required 800 000 tonnes in order to see the country through to April 2009, and he believed that the Grain Marketing Board, the national grain utility’s ability to respond to the national food deficit had been eroded by the prolonged macro-economic collapse.

    He said that the remaining sticking issues on cabinet portfolios would be solved upon the return of Mugabe and Arthur Mtambara who are both out of the country. “I think the remaining issues will be resolved once all the principals are in the country. The negotiations must be concluded as a matter of urgency,” he said.

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