By Takudziridzwa Nyama
The Republic of Rwanda has donated 1000 tonnes of maize meal to Zimbabwe as the Southern African nation grapples with the ElNino induced drought whose impact is expected to last until next year when the country expects the next harvest.
President Mnangagwa’s declaration of a nationwide state of disaster in Zimbabwe due to the drought has ignited a wave of humanitarian support to Zimbabwe and Rwanda’s one is the second such donation received from east African country since the coming in of the second Republic. In 2019 Rwanda also supported Zimbabwe during the cyclone Idai disaster in the Eastern Highlands.
The donation by Rwanda though welcome, shows the country needs to wean itself from being heavily reliant on rain fed agriculture.
As climate change induced weather patterns increase, rain fed agriculture for which Zimbabwe is reliant is no longer a sustainable way of farming. 70% of farmers in Zimbabwe depend on natural rainfall for their crop production and with these weather patterns increasingly becoming erratic, the Government ought to accelerate the establishment of more water bodies and irrigation schemes to reduce the over reliance on rains for farming.
Rwanda’s donation was presented by the country’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe James Musoni. Minister of Local Government and Publics Works Daniel Garwe received on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe at the Grain Marketing Board’s Aspindale Depot in the Capital Harare.