By Tendai Matunhu

His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged the rural communities to take advantage of the Presidential support input scheme and command agriculture meant to cushion farmers during the farming season so as to alleviate hunger and poverty.

Speaking at the First edition of the Rural Development Committees (RDCs) meeting in Harare yesterday, running under the theme ‘Local authorities gearing up for the attainment of an upper middle income economy by 2030,’ President Mnangagwa said that Government has put in place the Presidential support input scheme to ensure that everyone gets seeds and fertiliser.

The President said farmers should utilise the command agriculture programme and encouraged them to start growing small grains. He said people did not have to run away from their traditional grain which they used to grow before the white men came.

He also encouraged farmers to approach Banks so as to be assisted financially this farming season and most importantly urged women to approach the Women’s Bank to get assistance.

President Mnangagwa also spoke on the devolution program and said councillors are the voice of the grass-root communities and therefore asked them to listen attentively to people’s grievances. He said the Second Republic intends to see a change of things to that effect Government gave local authorities $168.7million on the devolution program which he said should be used to develop their communities after proper planning.

“You were voted into office to carry people’s grievances to Government and not to look for favours. I ask you to do your uttermost as elected councillors to work professionally, diligently, with love for your people. Let us be honest in all our dealings.

“Let me assure you that on the issues you raised, the majority of the issues have been resolved,” he said.

His Excellency went on to say that RDCs are the pillars of the country and highlighted that most of the population is in the rural areas. The country is what it is because of rural people. Government will continue to look after those in the rural areas and make sure that people get enough food because they are the farmers who feed the nation.

The President also said, Zimbabwe would be receiving the first batch of 100 buses from China by end of October this year. 100 buses are part of 1000 buses which the country bought from China and the 100 buses were going to be disbursed to the rural areas seeing that the urban areas have received a fair share so far.

RDCs were also urged to start levying miners and that companies would no longer be able to mine until they proved that they would have paid their dues.