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Misanet.com / The Standard, 16 January - The Zimbabwean government's efforts to stamp out the country's black market will not succeed unless senior officials from the ruling Zanu PF party and government officials move away from the parallel market, some disgruntled ruling party activists have said. The activists who declined to be named for security reasons, said it was a well known fact in Bulawayo that some senior Zanu PF officials were fuelling the black market by hoarding maize and then selling it at exorbitant prices. Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second city and is run by the opposition MDC party. They alleged that the governor of neighbouring province Matabeleland North, Obert Mpofu, among other senior officials, was hoarding mealie meal and reselling it, and therefore defeating the efforts to stamp out the black market. Matabeleland North is controlled by Zanu PF, President Mugabe's ruling party. - The governor is selling mealie-meal from his home at an inflated rate, and this defeats the entire purpose of banning the millers because he is no different from them, said the Bulawayo Zanu PF activists. Jabulani Sibanda, the chairman of the Zanu PF Bulawayo province confirmed that there were problems in the distribution of food and that many of the needy people were failing to benefit. - I can't comment on individual cases but what I can say is that something is not correct in the manner in which maize is being distributed, he said. Governor Mpofu and Livingstone Mashengele, the provincial administrator, "are the people in charge of food distribution and it is not for me to say whether or not anyone is hoarding maize," Mr Sibanda added. Approached for a comment, Governor Mpofu of Matabeleland North, who is currently on leave, stated that he was not at liberty to talk to the press. "Isn't there anyone in the office you can talk to. Can't you respect my privacy? I do not want to appear in the paper when I am on leave," he said. Provincial administrator Mushengele told 'The Standard' that reports about the hoarding of maize by officials could not have been made to his office since he was one of the accused. - Naturally, complainants will not come to this office as they will think they are reporting to the alleged culprits, he said. "What surprises me is that we are not in charge of the distribution of maize so I can't imagine how we could have diverted maize for hoarding. What I know is that people are failing to receive maize because of the inadequate deliveries," Mr Mushengele added.
'The Standard' is an independent Zimbabwean daily
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