Published by the government of Zimbabwe
3 November 2008
Harare — The National Aids Council has this year cut the assistance it provides chiefs throughout the country to produce food to feed people infected and affected by HIV/Aids, an official said on Saturday.
NAC spokesperson Ms Madeline Dube said the body had reduced the maize seed for the Zunde raMambo programme from 25 kilogrammes to 10kg due to the scarcity of inputs prevailing countrywide.
"Our partners are unable to provide us the amounts we require due to the shortage of inputs in the country," she said.
Ms Dube said seed houses Pannar and Seedco, NAC's partners in the HIV and Aids programme, had each offered to
provide 5kg of maize seed to the 269 chiefs involved in the Zunde raMambo project.
She said in addition to the maize seed, SeedCo had also pledged to provide 2kg of summer wheat seed.
Ms Dube said NAC also expected chiefs to use some of the seed they did not plant last year when the country experienced a drought.
She said NAC also expected the Grain Marketing Board to supply fertilizers that it purchased last year but failed to deliver.
Ms Dube said last year NAC ordered fertilizers for the programme but the GMB only supplied five tonnes, which were distributed to 26 chiefs in Mashonaland West Province.
"We hope that they will supply us that fertilizer," she said.
Through supporting the Zunde raMambo project, NAC ensures that people infected and affected by HIV and Aids receive food aid. New Ziana.
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