Commissions Watch 3/2017 Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Report: Report on Food Aid Cases 5 May raising concerns about the partisan distribution of food. The assault was reported to the police, but the matter had not been brought before the courts. The Commission’s report highlights other issues related to the distribution of food aid, some of which are noted below. Politicisation of Food Aid Adversely Affecting Elderly Persons Although the rights of elderly persons were not raised by the complaints, it became clear from the Commission’s investigations that the politicisation of food aid was adversely affecting elderly persons. Food aid that was specifically intended for vulnerable members of society, including elderly persons, was not reaching elderly persons as they were excluded on the basis of their children and their grandchildren’s political affiliation. This was the case in Mazowe Central Constituency and Bikita East Constituency. Denying elderly persons food aid on the basis of their descendant’s political persuasion is in direct contravention of section 6(1)(a) of the Social Welfare Assistance Act which classifies those over the age of sixty as vulnerable. In Muzarabani North and South, the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme, started in October 2015, was supposed to assist the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill as well as vulnerable households, yet only ZANU-PF members benefited. The ZANU-PF members who benefited were not necessarily elderly, disabled, chronically ill or vulnerable. Lack of Knowledge of Criteria of Food Aid Distribution The report reveals that constituents were poorly informed about the assistance they are entitled to, and how that assistance can be accessed. Although the National Policy on Drought Management stipulates the criteria of food aid distribution, constituents of Buhera North were not aware of the criteria. The Commission expressed the view that “ the lack of knowledge exposes them to manipulation as there is no transparency and accountability��. The complainants from Buhera North were also ignorant of the procedure to be followed to have their grievances addressed. In its recommendations, the Commission calls on the Ministry through the Department of Social Welfare to “sensitise the public on vulnerability assessment criteria for the existing Food Deficit Mitigation Strategies and the Drought Management Programme so that they are fully aware of the entire process.” San Community in Tsholotsho District Neglected The Commission’s report notes that the San community, which is vulnerable in many ways, was not given priority during food aid assessments. People who were not as vulnerable as the San community received food aid ahead of the San community which, according to the Commission’s report, was “always at the bottom of the list of beneficiaries”. The Commission derived these conclusions following a field visit to the San community in the District of Tsholotsho in June 2016 to document the human rights situation in the area. Food distribution process usurped by ZANU-PF Youth Procedurally, agricultural inputs and food aid should be distributed through distribution