The use of food to coerce people into voting for a particular party continues to be a corrupt inducement alongside violence and manipulation, despite promises by the inclusive government at its inception four years ago to end corrupt politics.
Yesterday we reported that in Matabeleland South starving villagers are being forced to produce Zanu PF membership cards before they are given wheat and rice donated by President Robert Mugabe.
Matobo Senator Sithembile Mlotshwa said MDC-T supporters were sidelined after Zanu PF secured the appointment of its own followers to control food distribution.
She said MDC-T supporters were turned away from areas where wheat and rice were being distributed.
Mlotshwa said the food was only taken to areas that were controlled by Zanu PF.
The Matobo situation has been made worse by the violent storms that hit the district at the weekend, leaving scores of people homeless and without food.
It would be cruel to punish people who are already victims of the weather on account of their political affiliation.
We would like to urge the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) and relevant government departments to come to the rescue of the Matobo villagers that have now fallen victim to political charlatans.
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Jomic, which was set up to monitor the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), must be seen acting decisively on this matter if the inclusive government is to salvage any respect before winding up its business.
The use of food as a bait for votes during elections — known as treating — should have been consigned to the history books with the formation of the inclusive government and the setting-up of oversight bodies such as Jomic.
The four years that the inclusive government has been in office would count for nothing if the root cause of the problems that precipitated this crisis that Zimbabwe finds itself in is not addressed.
In the same breath, Mugabe, as the source of the food handouts and Zanu PF, which is being accused of these political crimes, must come clean on the objectives of the drought relief programme.
If the programme is meant for all Zimbabweans regardless of political affiliation, Zanu PF must make it clear to those in charge of the distribution of the food that recipients must not be chosen along political lines.
The forthcoming elections must reflect that the four years Zimbabweans invested in the inclusive government were worth it and that can only be done if political parties play by the rules.
Using food as bait for potential voters is not only criminal, but also inhumane and outdated.
