The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) on Friday introduced a zonal maize meal distribution system which is premised at reducing the movement of citizens and queueing.
The system, as announced by the association, will see mealie-meal delivered to all residential shops at selected urban areas.
GMAZ chairman, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said that the association has partnered with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to come up with the initiative. In a statement, Musarara said:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has agreed to members of Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe nationwide supplying maize meal using a zonal system in the main seven hotspots namely Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo, Marondera, Kwekwe, Gweru and Chitungwiza. This arrangement will provide for more shops to receive and sell maize meal so that consumers buy the product in their respective areas of residence. The police will provide the necessary passage and will deploy details to oversee the delivery and selling of the maize meal.
This comes as elongated queues of people in search of the commodity have been seen in towns despite the 21-day lockdown which prohibits gatherings.
Zimbabwe has an acute shortage of mealie-meal and the government is importing and subsidising the commodity.
More: The Sunday News