Several rural district councils (RDCs) in Zimbabwe are facing challenges in receiving drought relief funds due to delays by their banks.
To expedite the process, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare has urged these councils to switch their accounts to AFC Bank for faster processing.
This directive comes after Minister July Moyo discovered that some councils using AFC had already received their allocations, while those using other banks were still waiting.
Beitbridge, the only depot in Matabeleland South with sufficient food according to the Minister, has yet to distribute it due to a lack of funds for transportation. Officials explained they were hesitant to engage transporters without receiving the allocated money from ZB Bank.
Tawanda Zimhunga, Director of Social Development, confirmed delays by ZB Bank in processing the funds. He stated, “Countrywide, we are having problems with ZB Bank as the money has not reflected in the accounts.”
During a meeting with District Development Coordinators (DDCs) and social welfare officers from Matabeleland North, South, and Bulawayo, Minister Moyo identified several affected districts. These included Mangwe, Nkayi, Hwange, Bubi, Bulilima, Umguza, and Beitbridge, all of whom banked with ZB Bank.
In response, Minister Moyo directed the affected districts to switch their accounts to AFC Bank, which has branches in every district. He emphasised, “Create bank accounts with AFC, which is in every district. Let’s use AFC.”
The Minister urged officials to prioritise food delivery and work with transporters willing to be paid later.
“I see there’s a tendency saying ‘the transporters want to be paid first.’ No, this is a disaster, choose whoever is willing. We have the money for this disaster. We will look after the debt, but we can’t look after people because we have not paid those who carried the food,” Moyo argued.
Minister Moyo stressed the importance of coordination between DDCs, social welfare departments, and the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) at the provincial level. He encouraged them to share planning information and work together for faster response.
“When you have your meetings, tell everybody what we have discussed,” he advised. “You at provincial level will supervise and you at district level implement so something is done collectively.”
The Minister also outlined a clear reporting structure. Social welfare and DDCs will report to their respective provincial secretaries, who will then report directly to him. Additionally, weekly reports will be required from DDCs and social welfare teams.
“Every Tuesday I too have to update the Cabinet,” Moyo explained. “This is a disaster. I have to give updates so that if any problems are solved immediately.”
He emphasised the need for transparency, stating, “We will report to Cabinet that there is no movement in Beitbridge, food is there but money has not reflected and not reflected because of bank choice.”
