GWANDA NORTH MP Madoda Sibanda of Zanu PF has accused some villagers of denying others access to the government’s grain loan scheme by falsely claiming the constituency had a bumper harvest.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Speaking at Dambashoko in his constituency on Thursday, Sibanda said it was sad that while most villagers were in serious need of food aid there were some that got over excited and told the drought assessment teams in the constituency that they had bumper harvests.
He said this prompted the government to withdraw the grain loan scheme.
“Some of you got too excited and carelessly told some government officials assessing the food situation that you had bumper harvests,” Sibanda said.
“You would hear some people saying ‘this year we had a bumper harvest such that we do not know where we will store the harvest, but it is not all of us who managed to harvest.”
Sibanda said the assessment teams took false information to the government which in turn discontinued the grain loan scheme in the constituency.
“You see how you have cost yourselves and others by just bragging to officials that you had bumper harvests?”
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He said the villagers’ careless talk had also prompted the government to demand payment for previous grain loan scheme supplies backdated to 2011 as they had not been repaying due to droughts.
“You are very lucky that I have already taken your concerns to the government that it is not all of us who harvested and the grain loan scheme will continue. You must now be careful of what you say as that sometime causes you to fail to get assistance you need,” Sibanda said.
He revealed that the government would soon be launching selling points for farm inputs at selected retail shops in the constituency for villagers to buy seed.
“You must stay ready to see inputs deliveries at the selected shops,” he said.
The legislator expressed concern that some villagers were indicating to government officials that they had enough inputs, which he said discouraged government programmes which were aimed at assisting communal farmers with inputs.
Sibanda’s remarks came after Dambashoko village head Themba Sibindi complained to him in front of mourners that there were reports that the government had discontinued the grain loan scheme saying villagers had good harvests.
“We understand that the grain loan scheme has been withdrawn because we have harvested enough this year.
“I wish to hear from the MP what is happening since most of us here did not harvest as our crops were water logged. MP please can you clarify to us about the grain loan scheme,” Sibindi said.
