July 2001 Africa News Headlines

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - Web posted at 1:10:16 PM GMT

Zimbabwe opposition seeks help to avert food shortages

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Wednesday his party is seeking help to avert food shortages that could compound social unrest in the country as the price of bread rose again.

Speaking at a press conference, Tsvangirai said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had approached aid organisations "to ensure that there is actually some strategic humanitarian relief in place."

His statement came as the state-run Herald newspaper announced the second bread price increase in two months, by between 15 and 20 percent.

A loaf of bread now costs between 35 and 45 Zimbabwe dollars (63 and 81 US cents).

Around 80 percent of Zimbabwe's workers stayed home last week to protest a hike in the price of fuel that has sent commuter fares and food prices soaring.

Tsvangirai accused the government of doing nothing to address warnings of food shortages made as early as February.

The government admitted Thursday for the first time that the country faces food shortages later this year and may need international aid.

Tsvangirai said the country's sole grain purchaser, the Grain Marketing Board, had 290,000 tonnes of maize in stock, most of it sub-standard, while there was a shortfall of half a million tonnes.

Some 100,000 tonnes of wheat is needed to meet the country's needs until the wheat harvest in October, he added.

He said the crisis stemmed from the government's failure to purchase maize from the country's small-scale farmers, coupled with disruptions on commercial farms by land invasions.

The country has, since February last year, seen the invasion of hundreds of productive commercial farms by supporters of the ruling party pushing for faster land reform.

Nampa-Sapa-AFP

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