HUNGRY EMASWATI DEMAND FOOD

MBABANE – Members of Parliament (MPs) are now flooded with calls from starving emaSwati following government’s failure to keep its promise with regard to food distribution.

Government, through the Deputy Prime Minister, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, promised the MPs that the ongoing food distribution exercise would kick start mid-November. The promise which raised hopes of emaSwati was made early November this year. However, no food has been distributed since government made the promise. Recently, government distributed food and money to over 300 000 emaSwati, who were hit hard by COVID-19.The beneficiaries received E700 each.  The virus was first discovered in Wuhan in China in November 2019. It was so severe that countries were compelled to go on lockdown, in order to minimise its spread. The lockdowns resulted in the closure of companies and businesses, where millions of people, including emaSwati were employed.

Governments had to come up with initiatives to save lives while fighting the virus. Part of the initiatives were food distribution exercises while people were on lockdown. Interviewed MPs shared that they had no peace of mind since government made the promise in the August House. “People heard that food would be distributed mid-November as per the promise made in Parliament. The distribution of the food was also confirmed by the non-governmental organisations working in the communities. The NGOs promised that the food distribution will be improved in order to cover more beneficiaries. However, there has been no distribution,” said Mkhiweni MP Ndlelayekuphila Masuku.

Demanding

Masuku mentioned that it had been three to four months since some people had been waiting for food in his constituency. He stated that people were now demanding answers due to the delayed food distribution. He also mentioned that the NGOs promised that the food distribution would commence mid-November and last till March 2021. Worth noting is that Mkhiweni is one of the constituencies where many people criticised the selection criteria of beneficiaries after a majority of them missed out on the food distribution. Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko said constituents started calling him even before the recent food distribution across the country. Maseko mentioned that the constituents took it as if MPs were not making a follow-up on the DPM’s promise yet this was not the case.

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