Scramble for food at Buhera festivities
A10-year-old boy escaped death after he was trampled upon by sunbeaten and hungry villagers who were stampeding for food at the national independence celebration in Manicaland province’s Murambinda area, highlighting the dire hunger situation in the country.
Scores of villagers were left injured during the stampede that occurred in front of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, ministers and top government and Zanu PF officials who were treated to packed meals, snacks and bottled water in well ventilated tents.
Buhera, known for severe droughts and poverty, was the unlikely host of the 44th Independence Day celebrations last week.
Amidst the sea of hungry villagers, top governemnt and Zanu PF officials drove into the venue in top-of-the-range vehicles as they flaunted their wealth to the poor.
The event held at Murambinda growth point was a stark display of opulence from Zanu PF bigwigs and senior government officials.
Arriving in high-end vehicles and adorned in designer suits, they seemed disconnected from the daily struggles faced by the villagers who have to endure the harsh economic crisis.
While the officials indulged in snacks within their tents, the impoverished villagers were left scrambling for sustenance, leading to chaotic scenes where several individuals were injured as they stampeded for food.
In a disturbing incident, Zanu PF officials threw chicken and fries to the gathered villagers, leading to a chaotic scramble for food.
The soldiers could not miss the action — they assaulted villagers queuing for food, fuelling the chaos.
Initial reports were that two villagers had died during the stampede, but the government swiftly dismissed these claims, which it described as propaganda.
In an audio obtained by The Standard yesterday, an unidentified man claimed that a pregnant woman gave birth during the scramble for food.
Manicaland provincial medical director Munyaradzi Mukuzunga said they only attended to the case of a 10-year-old, who sustained minor injuries during the chaotic scenes.
The situation in Murambinda epitomised the broader challenges facing ordinary Zimbabweans as economic hardships and drought are taking toll on many.
The country is reeling from the harsh effects of the El Niño-induced drought, with rural communities bearing the brunt of the crisis.
The devastating effects of the drought have left villages parched, crops withered, and food sources depleted, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.
Livestock is dying each passing day while several people have resorted to selling livestock to make ends meet by buying food.
This publication learnt that villagers in the region are forced to skip meals to save the little they have for the coming days.
In rural areas where agriculture serves as the primary livelihood, the failure of crops has plunged communities into a state of despair.
Traditionally, villagers could rely on agricultural yields, particularly grains, to trade for school fees.
However, this time around, their fields lay barren as rains evaded the parched land.
With no crops to harvest, the lifeline to education has been severed, plunging families deeper into uncertainty.
"The situation is dire. We have no water, no food,” said one villager.
“Access to clean water has become a luxury, with rivers and wells running dry.
“Crops have withered in the fields. We have no other means to sustain ourselves.
“However, we just want to thank President Mnangagwa for the Chicken Inn take-ways during the Independence Day celebrations.
“We last had these freebies during the 2023 rallies.”
A villager from Muzokomba, Farai Manjokota, said he had been forced to sell his livestock because of lack of pastures.
“We are having one of our worst hunger seasons in years,” he said.
“Our livestock is dying and we are pleading with our government to intervene with food aid and stock feed.
“l have resorted to selling my livestock for survival, but some of my neighbours have told me that they are sleeping on empty stomachs because of this drought.”
Another villager from Mukondomi village, Euniece Simbarashe, said she was struggling to feed her family.
Zanu PF Buhera North legislator Phillip Guyo confirmed the hunger crisis in his constituency.
“There is a severe drought in my area, but our President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to help us to improve the situation so that people have food on the table,” Guyo said.
According to food monitoring agencies, at least four million Zimbabweans would be in need of food aid till the next harvest season.
Initially, the government had declared that the country had enough grain to meet national demand till the next agricultural season.
The government also took a long time to declare the drought a national disaster.
However, as it became clear that the country’s silos were empty, Mnangagwa was forced to declare the drought a national disaster early this month.
He appealed for US$2 billion to mobilise emergency food aid to
IN A DISTURBING INCIDENT, ZANU PF OFFICIALS THREW CHICKEN AND FRIES TO THE GATHERED VILLAGERS, LEADING TO A CHAOTIC SCRAMBLE FOR FOOD. THE SOLDIERS COULD NOT MISS THE ACTION THEY ASSAULTED THE VILLAGERS QUEUING FOR FOOD, FUELLING THE CHAOS