Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially declared a nationwide State of Disaster in response to the severe drought conditions brought by El Niño.

Speaking at State House today, President Mnangagwa invoked Section 27, Subsection 1 of the Civil Protection Act (Chapter 10:06), which empowers the President to declare a State of Disaster to save people’s lives.

"To that end, I do hereby declare a nationwide State of Disaster, due to the El Niño-induced drought. Accordingly, I now invoke Section 27, Subsection 1 of the Civil Protection Act (Chapter 10:06), which provides that if at any time it appears to the President that any disaster of such a nature and extent that extraordinary measures are necessary to assist and protect the persons affected or likely to be affected by the disaster in any area of the country, the President may, in such a manner as he considers fit, declare that, with effect from a date specified by him, a state of disaster exists within an area or areas specified by him in the declaration," stated President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa said that the 2023–2024 agricultural season has been particularly challenging, failing to meet expectations mainly due to the El Niño phenomenon, which led to more than 80% of the nation receiving below-normal rainfall.

In light of this, the President assured that "adequate resources will, therefore, be mobilized and re-directed towards national food security, including through supplementary grain imports."

The President further elaborated that all available grain in the country will be secured through competitive prices and prompt payment towards encouraging farmers to release and sell available grain, including to the Grain Marketing Board.

He added that a robust and responsive mechanism has been put in place to guarantee that food reaches needy communities on time.

President Mnangagwa added that with the winter crop program for 2024 now of critical importance, efforts are being ramped up to expand wheat cultivation to all available irrigable land with secure water sources.

The President emphasised the revival of winter maize projects and the continuation of the agriculture mechanisation and modernization programme to enhance small-holder farmers' operations.

Addressing the urgent need for water, the President declared, "Safe water sources which are drying up in many areas have to be replaced through an accelerated exploitation of our groundwater. More boreholes continue to be drilled under the Presidential Borehole Drilling Programme to ensure adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, to avert water-borne diseases, including cholera, typhoid, and dysentery."

Amidst these challenges, President Mnangagwa called on all Zimbabweans to remain united, peaceful, and supportive, emphasising the importance of collective effort and solidarity from the family level up to communal cooperation through these