Panic has gripped villagers in the arid region of Masvingo province who are starving due to poor rains last season.

Addressing party supporters at a rally to mark a memorial service for the late Gutu south legislator and Public Service Minister Mukonoweshuro, Tsvangirai who is also MDC president said government will ensure that they will get food.

“No one will die of hunger. We will ensure as a government that grain will be made available to you here in the rural areas. Government has since rolled up several plans to mitigate this drought and there will be enough food for everyone,” said Tsvangirai.

He said his party and government were well aware of the situation in the rural areas particularly drought prone regions like Masvingo and pledged full commitment to help the villagers out of the misery.

“We also realise the nagging effects of hunger and starvation in such drought prone regions and we have since sourced a lot of maize for you and it will be coming. We are also set to bring programmes like food for work so that you will get assistance for your survival,” he said.

Masvingo province is one of the hardest hit provinces by drought.

Some villagers in various districts and areas have since resorted to surviving on wild fruits and roots, while others in remote and marginalised areas like Chikombedzi are marrying off their juvenile daughters for maize to upkeep their families.

Tsvangirai, however, said government needs to subsidise subsistence farmers to acquire inputs before the agricultural season commences, as a long-term solution to food shortages.

He said the effects of poor rainfall distribution were being worsened by the fact that peasant farmers lacked sufficient inputs and government will bring them to their door steps this year.

“The long-term solution to drought effects is to equip our farmers with sufficient inputs like seeds, fertilisers and so on. We need to subsidise the farmers so that they will afford the inputs and this year I promise you will have enough seeds and fertilisers at affordable prices as we are aware that parents in the rural areas do not have enough money."

“There is going to be a programme in place to bring the inputs to the people unlike before,” said Tsvangirai amid applauses and cheers from starving villagers.

By Daily News