HARARE – The government’s much-hyped urban cash transfer programme meant to cushion vulnerable families has effectively collapsed across the country, with social welfare minister Edgar Moyo conceding in parliament that no funds have been disbursed this year after treasury shut off support.
Moyo was responding to a question from Luveve MP Discent Bajila (CCC), who asked how many Bulawayo households benefitted from social safety net payments between January and June 2025. The minister revealed that although 219,849 people were registered in the city under the “cash for cereal” scheme, only 39,293 actually received payouts — and that was in October 2024.
Each recipient was paid the equivalent of US$8 through NetOne’s OneMoney platform. The World Food Programme (WFP) complemented the effort by providing cash to 15,000 people, adding a further US$5 top-up for nutritional needs.
But after those initial payments, the minister admitted, “no additional funds have been received from the treasury for the cash transfer programme.”
The Bulawayo case mirrors the national picture, where hundreds of thousands of poor households were registered but never received support. What was touted as a safety net for the urban poor has instead become another stalled programme, exposing vulnerable families to deepening food insecurity.
The admission has sparked concern that government’s promises to protect struggling households through cash relief were never backed by sustainable financing, leaving the country’s most desperate citizens stranded.
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