HARARE - Government's insistence that all donations to Tokwe-Mukorsi and Tsholotsho floods victims be channelled through State structures has delayed the handover of proceeds from the Soap and Shirt Donation Winter Festival held in June.
Several artistes such as Leonard Zhakata, Charles and Olivia Charamba, Fungisayi Zvakavapano-Mashavave, BaShupi, Suluman Chimbetu and Cynthia Mare took part in the charity concert that was jointly organised by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), the Women’s Trust (TWT), Batanai HIV, AIDS Organisation (Bhaso) and Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition.
A well-placed source who declined to be identified told the Daily News that organisers of the charity festival were making frantic efforts to get permission from government to be allowed to hand over the donations directly to intended beneficiaries.
“The organisers of the charity initiative are unwilling to donate proceeds of their festival to the Tokwe-Mukorsi and Tsholotsho floods victims through a third party,” said the source.
“They are negotiating with government officials to get the green light to donate directly to the intended beneficiaries.
“The fact that the winter season is almost gone is frustrating the organisers even more.”
Efforts to get comments on the matter from the organisers proved fruitless yesterday.
But in an earlier interview with the Daily News in June, ZimRights director Okay Machisa insisted that the organisers would fight for the right to be allowed to donate directly to the Tokwe-Mukorsi and Tsholotsho floods victims.
“We will follow all the necessary government protocols and we are going to engage provincial ministers in the respective areas,” said the ZimRights director then.
“While we appreciate government’s position that donations have to go via them, we are determined to push for the chance to deliver our goods directly to the affected people.
“We will seek clearance from the government to distribute the goods ourselves.”
The government’s position that all donations to the flood victims be routed through them contributed to the delayed handover of proceeds from the Green Concert held in Harare on May 9 this year that featured South African musician Zahara.
“The proceeds only reached the Tokwe-Mukorsi flood victims via government channels more than a month after the show.