Zimbabwean refugees are complaining that they are starving while the Musina Municipality is locking up food donated to them in a municipal store room. Some of the donors have now also started asking questions.

Mr Tom Boya is one of the businessmen in Polokwane who donated blankets and food parcels to the municipality. Speaking to Mirror this week, Boya said that he drove to Musina to find out whether the food had been distributed to the refugees or whether it was still in a store room.

“I was shocked to discover that the store room door doesn’t open properly, because it is jam-packed with the donated food. I also learnt that the food was not given to the people whom I donated it to, which are the Zimbabweans in Musina,” he complained.

Pastor Simon Sithole of the I believe in Jesus Church in Musina, which is accommodating refugees, added that “food parcels donated by the University of Venda were just displayed to journalists for picture-taking purposes, but the refugees never received them. They are starving of hunger whereas the Musina Municipality locked the food in their store room.”

The spokesperson for the Musina Municipality, Mr Wilson Dzebu, denied allegations that municipal officers were taking the donated food parcels to their homes. Dzebu said the delay was caused by logistical problems.

“The people who are responsible for the distribution of the food parcels were busy with other municipal duties. Refugees who need donations must apply for it in writing to the municipality. They must get the necessary forms and complete it before they can receive food,” he said. According to Dzebu, the donated items include canned food, sugar, clothes, soup and chemicals to clean water.

Dzebu also indicated that they were in the process of distributing the food parcels to the affected refugee camps in the area. He further promised that, after meeting with the established donation committee, the food would be distributed to the refugees. “The process was just a bit slow, but we are going to treat this matter urgently, so that the refugees can get the food,” promised Dzebu.