WASHINGTON DC —
Inhlanganiso ezabela ukudla seziveze ukukhathazeka ngokusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba ebantwaneni abaleminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu, i-Malnutrition, okuyikho okuyimbangela yokulahlekelwa ngumpefumulo ebantwaneni abangaba yisilinganiso sokungamatshumi amabili lanhlanu ekhulwini – 25%, elizweni.
Inani labantwana ababhekane lendlala kanye lemizimba engabukekiyo ngenxa yokusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba, i-Stunted growth, liya likhwela okubikwa selifike kumntwana oyedwa kwabathathu.
Inhlanganiso ephatheke ekwabeleni uzulu ukudla i-World Food Program ekucubunguleni kwayo, ithi lokhu kubangelwa yikuphazamiseka kwenotho yelizwe osokutshiye abazali abanengi bengasebenzi, ukungani kuhle kwezulu kanye lokwehla kwemali esekela abaswelayo.
Umongameli Robert Mugabe uke wakhuluma laye ngaloludaba esethula ugwalo lwe Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Security Policy, ngoNkwenkwezi lonyaka, esithi uhulumende ukhathazekile ngenani labantwana elifa ngenxa yokuswela ukudla okwakha umzimba.
Ingcitshi zithi inengi labantwana selithola ukudla okuphiwa abadala kukhohlakale ukuthi bona balendingeko ezitshiyeneyo ukuze imizimba ikhule kuhle.
Umnumzana Silas Mangena, oyisakhamuzi uthi ukubhidlika kwenotho yelizwe kanye lendlala eseyangena kuzulu yiyo esibangele ukuthi abantwana baswele ukudla okwakha umzimba. Uthi ukusilela kwemali kwenza abazali bakhangele ompuphu labotshukela bakhohlwe ukuthi abantwana badinga ukudla okutshiyeneyo kulalokhu okudingwa ngabadala.
UMangena uqhubeke esithi inengi labantwana selingenelwa yimikhuhlane lula nje ngenxa yokungaqini kwemizimba. Uthi njalo abantwana abakhula bengaqinanga bafika njalo bathwale nzima lalapho sebesiya ezikolo bangaze baqhuba kuhle.
Unkosikazi Nosipho Mabhena, ongumlimisi, obekhulumisana labalimi bensimu ye Mzinyathi ngempelaviki, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi abalimayo bakhuthazwe ukuthi balime izilimo ezakha umzimba hatshi ukuthi kube lesitshwala kuphela besekuthiwa sokwanele. Uthi kuhle ukuthi kuqakathekiswe njalo kukhuthazwe amasimu okulima ngokuthelezela ukuthi alime izilimo ezitshiyeneyo ukuze abantwana bengaqhubeki belahlekelwa yimpefumulo ngenxa yokuthola ukudla okungakhi umzimba.
UMnumzana David Phiri, owenhlanganiso ye Food and Agriculture Organisation, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi nxa kukhulunywa ngempilakahle eZimbabwe kukhulunywe ngokunika uzulu jikelele, ikakhulu abantwana, hatshi ukudla okunengi kuphela kodwa ukudla kwenhlobonhlobo ezitshiyeneyo okuyikho okwenza umntwana akhule engahlaselwa yimikhuhlane njalo esenelisa ukwenza konke okwenziwa ngosowabo abathola ukudla okufaneleyo.
Uthi ukusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba yisilo esisengene sadiliza izigaba ezinengi zelizwe eseziphelelwe ngabantwana kwathi lalabo abaseleyo baba ngabangaphilanga.
Uhulumende usebeke ikhomithi ekhokhelwa ngumsekeli kamongameli uNkosikazi Joyce Mujuru ukukhangela ukuthi abantu elizweni, ikakhulu abantwana bangathola njani ukudla okwaneleyo okwakha imizimba kulandela ukwethulwa kohlelo lwe Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Security Policy.
Isinqumo lesi sibunjwe nguhulumende encedisana lenhlanganiso ezizimele zodwa ezigoqela i- World Food Program, i- World Health Organisation, i-United Nations Children’s Fund lezinye ezinenginengi.
Inani labantwana ababhekane lendlala kanye lemizimba engabukekiyo ngenxa yokusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba, i-Stunted growth, liya likhwela okubikwa selifike kumntwana oyedwa kwabathathu.
Inhlanganiso ephatheke ekwabeleni uzulu ukudla i-World Food Program ekucubunguleni kwayo, ithi lokhu kubangelwa yikuphazamiseka kwenotho yelizwe osokutshiye abazali abanengi bengasebenzi, ukungani kuhle kwezulu kanye lokwehla kwemali esekela abaswelayo.
Umongameli Robert Mugabe uke wakhuluma laye ngaloludaba esethula ugwalo lwe Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Security Policy, ngoNkwenkwezi lonyaka, esithi uhulumende ukhathazekile ngenani labantwana elifa ngenxa yokuswela ukudla okwakha umzimba.
Ingcitshi zithi inengi labantwana selithola ukudla okuphiwa abadala kukhohlakale ukuthi bona balendingeko ezitshiyeneyo ukuze imizimba ikhule kuhle.
Umnumzana Silas Mangena, oyisakhamuzi uthi ukubhidlika kwenotho yelizwe kanye lendlala eseyangena kuzulu yiyo esibangele ukuthi abantwana baswele ukudla okwakha umzimba. Uthi ukusilela kwemali kwenza abazali bakhangele ompuphu labotshukela bakhohlwe ukuthi abantwana badinga ukudla okutshiyeneyo kulalokhu okudingwa ngabadala.
UMangena uqhubeke esithi inengi labantwana selingenelwa yimikhuhlane lula nje ngenxa yokungaqini kwemizimba. Uthi njalo abantwana abakhula bengaqinanga bafika njalo bathwale nzima lalapho sebesiya ezikolo bangaze baqhuba kuhle.
Unkosikazi Nosipho Mabhena, ongumlimisi, obekhulumisana labalimi bensimu ye Mzinyathi ngempelaviki, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi abalimayo bakhuthazwe ukuthi balime izilimo ezakha umzimba hatshi ukuthi kube lesitshwala kuphela besekuthiwa sokwanele. Uthi kuhle ukuthi kuqakathekiswe njalo kukhuthazwe amasimu okulima ngokuthelezela ukuthi alime izilimo ezitshiyeneyo ukuze abantwana bengaqhubeki belahlekelwa yimpefumulo ngenxa yokuthola ukudla okungakhi umzimba.
UMnumzana David Phiri, owenhlanganiso ye Food and Agriculture Organisation, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi nxa kukhulunywa ngempilakahle eZimbabwe kukhulunywe ngokunika uzulu jikelele, ikakhulu abantwana, hatshi ukudla okunengi kuphela kodwa ukudla kwenhlobonhlobo ezitshiyeneyo okuyikho okwenza umntwana akhule engahlaselwa yimikhuhlane njalo esenelisa ukwenza konke okwenziwa ngosowabo abathola ukudla okufaneleyo.
Uthi ukusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba yisilo esisengene sadiliza izigaba ezinengi zelizwe eseziphelelwe ngabantwana kwathi lalabo abaseleyo baba ngabangaphilanga.
Uhulumende usebeke ikhomithi ekhokhelwa ngumsekeli kamongameli uNkosikazi Joyce Mujuru ukukhangela ukuthi abantu elizweni, ikakhulu abantwana bangathola njani ukudla okwaneleyo okwakha imizimba kulandela ukwethulwa kohlelo lwe Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Security Policy.
Isinqumo lesi sibunjwe nguhulumende encedisana lenhlanganiso ezizimele zodwa ezigoqela i- World Food Program, i- World Health Organisation, i-United Nations Children’s Fund lezinye ezinenginengi.