Zimbabwe halts emergency food aid

More than five million people in Zimbabwe reportedly need food aid

The government of Zimbabwe has told international donors that it does not need emergency food aid this year, because it expects a bumper harvest.

Labour Minister Paul Mangwana told the country's official news agency: "We have enough for local consumption."

But the opposition has said there is a severe food shortage, and that without international help people will starve.

The government has been accused of only giving food aid to its supporters. Elections are due early next year.

A former food exporter, Zimbabwe has relied on food aid since it began controversial land reform seizures in 2000.

Critics say much of the land taken from white commercial farmers remains unproductive.

Aid agencies estimate that 5.5m Zimbabweans - almost half in urban areas - will require emergency food aid this year.

Agriculture Minister Joseph Made said maize production was expected to reach nearly 2.5m tonnes, more than double the total for each of the previous two years.

The minister told state-run media that the government's land redistribution programme was responsible for the improvement.

The government has blamed the food shortages of previous years on drought.

Stark choice

A recent survey carried out for a German institute indicated a shortfall of around 900,000 tonnes of maize this year.

Mr Mangwana admitted that some areas in the country would have food deficits, but he said that those "would be covered through internal food distribution".

He added that donors would only be asked to assist in development programmes.

A crop assessment mission by the UN has been told by the government to halt its work, so the true situation is difficult to assess.

The agriculture spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Renson Gasela, has appealed to foreign donors to continue bringing in food - even without a government request.

BBC African analyst Martin Plaut says the government announcement that it does not need help is linked to parliamentary elections early next year.

The ruling party, Zanu-PF, has repeatedly used food aid to buy political support, he says, and with no international aid, the people of Zimbabwe will be faced with the stark choice of voting for Zanu-PF or going without food.