SOME Bulawayo opposition party councillors have complained that they are being sidelined on the Presidential maize seed distribution programme in the province.
Ward 25 councillor, Aleck Ndlovu, said there had been partisan and biased maize seed distribution.
Ndlovu told Southern Eye on Sunday that councillors in urban areas must be allowed to take charge just like what is done in rural areas.
“My concern as a councillor is that why is the presidential maize seed distribution scheme not handled by civil-elected representatives in the community? In rural areas the councillor together with traditional leaders, village heads and headmen gather and distribute the maize fairly to people who are deserving and part of the registers,” Ndlovu said.
“But you will find out that in urban areas councillors are sidelined together with the residents associations in those communities.”
He said the distribution process should not be partisan but should be apolitical.
“The process is usually done by shadowy figures who are apparently political activists that take charge of the distribution. It becomes partisan and biased,” Ndlovu said.
He said as councillors they should be engaged in the distribution process because they are the ones who have the know-how of the area.
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“That maize should be distributed fairly to those who are deserving and are farmers. We have seen people who are not farmers getting the maize seeds which is unfair because those people just take seed to sell when they are those who want to farm for food,” Ndlovu said.
Bulawayo Agritex supervisor, Sipho Ndlovu, said the distribution process was done by ward co-ordinators who are elected by local leaders.
“As Agritex we handle the modalities to distribute the presidential maize seed. Maize seed is distributed by ward co-ordinators and drought relief maize is distributed by councillors. In this case as Agritex we deal with the Ministry of Agriculture whereas maize for drought relief is handled by the Department of Social Welfare which then engages councillors to distribute to residents fairly,” Sipho said.
