BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe’s opposition on Monday accused the government of using scarce food to buy votes, barely 48 hours after President Robert Mugabe distributed millions of dollars worth of farm equipment in what critics said was an attempt to placate a disgruntled electorate. 

Both factions of the divided main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said politicization of food had become rampant in rural areas where in some cases entire communities rely on grain from the state-run Grain Marketing Board (GMB). 

Some villagers who spoke to ZimOnline said the GMB – the only firm permitted to trade in maize and wheat – had since campaigning for the March 29 elections started in earnest about three weeks ago distributed food through traditional leaders known for supporting Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party. 

“We have received reports from Manicaland province and in most rural areas that ZANU PF is using grain from the GMB as a campaign tool,” said Nelson Chamisa, spokesman of the main grouping of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai. 

“ZANU PF should not use food to punish those who are seen to be in opposition and rewarding those sympathetic to the ruling party. We say this is wrong,” he added. 

ZANU PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira was not immediately available for comment on the matter. The ruling party has in the past denied using food to punish opposition supporters, insisting food is distributed to all hungry people regardless of political affiliation.    

Gabriel Chaibva, spokesman of the Arthur Mutambara-led MDC faction, described politicisation of food as an old habit that ZANU PF finds hard to drop. 

“Year after year and election after election, ZANU PF abuses food to punish its opponents and we are saying there is a need to develop counter strategies to deal with that,” he said. 

Zimbabwe, also in the grip of its worst ever economic crisis, has battled severe food shortages for the past eight years after Mugabe’s controversial land reforms displaced established white commercial farmers and replaced them with either incompetent or inadequately funded black peasant farmers. 

International relief agencies say up to four million Zimbabweans or a quarter of the country’s 12 million people require food aid between now and the next harvest in about a month’s time. 

Villagers in the southern Lupane rural district, one of the worst hit by hunger, said the GMB was selling cheaper-priced maize through traditional chiefs and village headmen who sold it to ZANU PF supporters. 

“The food is delivered almost daily but is sold by headmen and chiefs who give it to ZANU PF supporters and we are never given a chance to buy as they always have a list of known ZANU PF supporters,” said one villager who preferred not to be named. 

The villager said the ZANU PF supporters re-sell maize at inflated prices. Other villagers said they had slept outside GMB offices in Lupane for days hoping to get maize but to no avail. 

Zimbabweans vote for a new president, parliament and local councils at the month-end. 

Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe’s 1980 independence from Britain, at the weekend handed out tractors, motor cycles, combine harvesters, generators, small farm implements and cows to beneficiaries of his land reform programme. 

The ageing Mugabe - still adored by some on the African continent but equally loathed by many over rights abuse charges - has in past weeks raised allowances and salaries for traditional leaders and soldiers, who have backed his government. 

He has also promised to hike salaries for striking teachers, in what critics have described as a massive vote-buying exercise ahead of a tricky election in which he faces former ally Simba Makoni and old foe, Tsvangirai. - ZimOnline