Mnangagwa Says No One Will Die Of Hunger While Wasting Millions On Iranian Weapons
Controversial Spending Undermines Food Security Promises in Zimbabwe.
In a recent address from his family homestead in Masvingo North, Emmerson Mnangagwa reiterated his commitment that “no Zimbabwean will die of hunger,” promising government action to secure adequate food supplies amid a severe drought. Despite these assurances, controversy swirls around the President’s decision to allocate significant funds for purchasing weapons from Iran, rather than focusing on critical grain imports.
Critics quickly pointed out the stark contradiction in the government’s spending priorities. An opposition member criticized the administration, saying, “While the President promises food security, his actions speak louder, diverting crucial funds to arms rather than to the starving mouths of our citizens.”
Mnangagwa’s speech came during the memorial service for his late grandson, where he detailed plans to combat food insecurity, including a nationwide initiative to establish business units in every village to support rural women with resources like solar-powered boreholes and fish farming facilities. However, given the President’s history of unfulfilled promises, skepticism remains high. “Yes, this year there is drought, but we want to assure you that, as your government, we are doing everything in our power and capacity so that there is no family in Zimbabwe, from Zambezi to Limpopo, that succumbs to hunger because of lack of food,” Mnangagwa asserted.
Despite these promises, the optics of military spending during a humanitarian crisis have sparked outrage. Political analyst Takura Zhangazha noted, “It’s deeply troubling to see such a disconnect between the government’s professed goals and their actual financial commitments. Investing in weapons at a time when people are suffering from hunger shows a profound misplacement of priorities.”
The debate continues as Mnangagwa’s administration pushes forward with its plans. Citizens and watchdog groups are calling for increased transparency and a reevaluation of spending to ensure that immediate needs, such as food security, are met before other expenditures. “As a country with a functional government, no one will die of hunger or starve because we faced drought; we must agree on that!” the President concluded in his address, a statement that remains to be tested as the nation confronts its challenges.
