BULAWAYO - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has started distributing maize seed in Matabeleland to disabled people and children orphaned by HIV.

The party unveiled the aid programme after noting that most of the vulnerable people were not receiving anything under government projects.

The inclusive government has programmes to distribute food and farming inputs to the vulnerable.

MDC Matabeleland regional administrator Nkululeko Ndlovu said the programme is being rolled out in Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Bulawayo provinces. Each family is getting a 10kg bag of maize seed.

“We have realised that the distribution of free maize seeds under government programmes have been politicised too much by some political parties and most disadvantaged families are not getting anything,” Ndlovu said.

“So far we have covered Tsholotsho and Nkayi districts in Matabeleland North Province. After completing the distribution process in that province we will be heading to Matabeleland South,” said Ndlovu.

Ndlovu said this was not in any way vote-buying but a social programme by the party to help the poor who have been discriminated.

The MDC’s distribution of maize seed comes as Zanu PF is also distributing 10kg bags of maize seed around the country. The bags of maize seed, emblazoned with President Robert Mugabe’s picture, are being doled out under the $20 million “presidential inputs scheme”.

In its latest report, a leading human rights watchdog, the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), said Zanu PF had anchored its campaign on free food and seed handouts in addition to using state-sponsored violence as it gears for harmonised elections. - Pindai Dube