Ugatsha Lwezempilakahle Soludingela Abantwana Ukudla 
Leli nyathelo lithathwa ngemva kokubona ukuba liyaqonga inani labantwana abeza ezibhedlela ngemikhuhlane ephathelane lokuswela ukudla okwakha umzimba
BULAWAYO — Ugatsha lwezempilakahle luthi uhlangothi olubona ngokudla okwakha umzimba soluqale ukudinga uncedo lokudla okokusa ezigabeni ezingezansi kwelizwe kulandela imbiko ethi abantu, ikakhulu abantwana abaleminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu sebeqale ukuza ezibhedlela lemakiliniki behlaselwa yimikhuhlane ebangelwa yikuswela ukudla, ngoba okwesivuno sanyakenye sokuphelile. Imbiko evela kulesisigaba ithi kusukela ngenyanga kaMfumfu sokubelenani labantwana elilethwa maviki wonke ezibhedlela libulawa yikucikizeka komzimba kulandela ukuswelakala kokudla kulesisigaba. Inani labantwana ababhekane lendlala kanye lemizimba engabukekiyo ngenxa yokusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba – i-stunted growth, liya liqonga okubikwa selifike kumntwana oyedwa kwabathathu. Ugatsha lwezempilakahle luthi lukhathazekile ngokusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba ebantwaneni abaleminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu, okuyikho imbangela yokulahlekelwa ngumphefumulo kwesilinganiso sokungamatshumi amabili lanhlanu ekhulwini – 25%, sebantwaneni elizweni. Ingcitshi zezempilo zithi inengi labantwana selithola ukudla okuphiwa abadala kukhohlakale ukuthi bona balendingeko ezitshiyeneyo ukuze imizimba ikhule kuhle. Umqondisi wezempilakahle, esigabeni seMatabeleland South, uDr Brian Abel Maponga, uthi isabelo sakhe sesidinga uncedo lokudla ngenxa yalumkhuhlane obangelwa yikuswelakala kokudla okuthile emzimbeni, umuntu ethola uhlobo olulodwa lokudla. Uqhube esithi ugatsha lwakhe solukhulumisana lenhlanganiso eziphathisa ngokudla ukuthi ziqale njalo loluhlelo ziphathisa ikakhulu abantwana abavela emulini eziswelayo. UMnumzana Godfrey Tlou, oweNhwali, eGwanda South, uthi lanxa bebeke benelisa ukuzinakekela okwensukwana kulandela isivuno sanyakenye, umangoye seqalile ukulala eziko, ngoba lesi sivuno sasivele siyingcosana nje. Abantwana kulesisigaba, sebaqala ukulala ezindleleni bevela ezikolo ngenxa yendlala. Wengeze esithi lanxa izulu lingana balime, abangeke bafike esikhathini sokuvuna lonyaka bengatholanga uncedo. UMnumzana Silas Mangena, oyisakhamuzi eNkayi, uthi ukubhidlika kwenotho yelizwe kanye lendlala eseyangena kuzulu yiyo esibangele ukuthi abantwana baswele ukudla okwakha umzimba. 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. Lababantwana, uthi lalapho sebesiya ezikolo, abaqhubi kuhle ngenxa yemizimba engaqinanga. Inhlanganiso ye World Food Programme, ephathisa abalamasimu okuthelela ngempompi kusigaba lesi, ithi kuqakathekile ukuthi nxa kukhulunywa ngempilakahle kuleli kukhulunywe ngokunika izizalwane, 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. UNkosikazi Prisca Sebata, olensimu ethelelwayo eyasekelwa yilinhlanganiso uthi ukusilela kokudla okwakha umzimba besekuyisilo esisengene sadiliza imizi yabo. Ekulimeni lapha, uthi sebakhuthazwa ukuba lama- Nutrition Gardens ukuze abantwana bathole inhlobonhlobo yokudla okutshiyeneyo phezu kwesitshwala lomfushwa. UNkosikazi Melta Phiri, isakhamuzi eGwanda, uthi kumele uhulumende adinge amasu okunika abantwana ukudla ngoba inengi labazali alizukwanelisa ukwenza lokhu. Uthi lonyaka kukhanya indlala izangena iqothule ngoba izulu alikhanyi ukuthi lizakubakhona, nanku lasewula lanyamalala. Uhulumende ulekhomithi yokukhangela ukuthi izizalwane, ikakhulu abantwana bangathola njani ukudla okwaneleyo okwakha imizimba kulandela ukwethulwa kohlelo lwe Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Security Policy. Ukucubungula okwenziwa yinhlanganiso yeZimbabwe National Statistics Agency, iMultiple Indicator Cluster Survey, ithi phose amatshumi amathathu ekhulwini – 27% labantwana alikhuli ngendlela i-stunted growth, phose itshumi lambili ekhulwini -11,2% lingaphansi kwesisindo esifaneleyo kuthi phose abane ekhulwini – 3.3% licikizekile emzimbeni.