HARARE – The government has conceded that the El Niño-induced drought currently devastating southern Africa has caught them off guard, leading to the need for significant budget adjustments to address the crisis.
According to the News Day, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube made the admission yesterday while appearing before the joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance and Industry and Commerce.
Ncube revealed that the unexpected severity of the drought will compel the government to reshuffle the 2024 National Budget by redirecting funds from other budget allocations to finance food imports, aiming to stave off hunger.
The drought, which has been triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon, has impacted various countries in the southern African region, prompting some nations to prohibit maize exports.
In response to the crisis, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared the drought a state of national disaster, with the government endeavoring to raise US$2 billion to provide relief to over seven million food-insecure citizens.
“We didn’t know how deep the drought was,” stated Ncube. “So, the element of surprise is in there, that it must be much deeper than the result.”
Acknowledging the necessity for reallocating resources, Ncube affirmed that the government would divert funds from other budget items to facilitate grain imports.
He also hinted at the possibility of borrowing to address the unforeseen expenditure, expressing confidence in the country’s ability to manage its external debt.
Despite warnings from several non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies about the impending food insecurity crisis, Ncube noted an unexpected underperformance in agriculture, highlighting a 70% decrease in maize production.
Meanwhile, organizations like FewsNet, the food security arm of USAid, have projected a poor harvest in 2024, exacerbating the food situation with soaring food prices.
The drought’s impact has extended beyond Zimbabwe, with neighboring countries like Zambia and Malawi also declaring it a national disaster.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema emphasized the devastating effects on the agricultural sector, estimating that more than one million families in Zambia alone would require food assistance.
