MDC warns of huge hunger
18/03/2005 18:40  - (SA)  

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Harare - Zimbabwe's main opposition party on Friday warned that the country was headed for a "starvation of major proportions" due to President Robert Mugabe's failure to attract international aid.

"The country has now virtually run out of maize," the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) shadow minister for agriculture Renson Gasela told a media briefing in Harare.

"The government has been misleading everybody about the food situation to create the impression that everything is under control," Gasela said.

Mugabe's government is importing 15 tonnes of corn grain every month which the opposition official said fell way short of the 150 tonnes needed every month.

He warned that starvation would set in after the March 31 elections and that a victory by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party would compound the crisis as Zimbabwe would continue to slide into international isolation.

"There will be no food after the elections. If the voters make a mistake and vote Zanu-PF into power, there will be starvation of major proportions in the country," said Gasela.

A combination of successive droughts, strained relations with donor countries like the United States and the European Union, and land seizures have compromised food production in Zimbabwe, once southern Africa's breadbasket.

Entire country faces starvation

"In short, the entire country faces starvation in the next few weeks. The only way out of this is to resuscitate our relations with the international community which the Zanu-PF government cannot do," he said.

Mugabe, who said last year said the country has enough food, acknowledged during campaign rallies this week the seriousness of the drought and pledged to provide food to all in need.

"We have put aside some money for grain which we will be importing from other countries that have the commodity, if the need arises," Mugabe told supporters in Bikita on Thursday.

The state-run Grain Marketing Board said on Thursday it would be importing more corn grain, the national staple, in the wake of lower than expected harvests.

"The use of food to buy votes plus intimidation of voters is clear evidence that Zanu-PF has no support whatsoever in rural areas," he added.

The March 31 elections will be closely watched as a test of Harare's commitment to adhere to principles on democratic elections adopted by regional leaders including Mugabe last year.

The country's last two elections in 2000 and 2002 were tainted by violence and allegations of intimidation and electoral fraud.

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