Mr. President Sir, I write this letter with a heavy heart precipitated mainly by the untold suffering of the global poor in general, and the African population in particular.
Since the Russo-Ukraine
conflict ensued on 24 February 2022, life here has been an uphill task. Many
breadwinners lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still
raging, albeit at lower infection rate, as populations are approaching herd
immunity against current viral strains.
Few governments in Africa have
budgetary capacity to ameliorate the suffering of poor people by paying out
social grants. Those who have been doing it are reaching to a stage where they
can no longer afford it and even those that tried to maintain these social nets
the amounts are so meager to make any impact, particularly now that the food
prices have started to skyrocket. It is particularly because of the high cost
of food that life has become unbearable to poor households, which are in fact
the majority.
In South Africa, for
example, food manufacturing and retail companies have confirmed that the prices
of staples like maize (corn) meal, cooking oil, bread and other basic
commodities are likely to increase by between 20%-25% in the coming winter
months. This is exacerbated by steep increase in energy costs, particularly
petroleum products.
The negative impact of food
inflation is likely to be worse in landlocked countries where transport and
logistics costs are disproportionately higher. It is a fact that in some areas
like SAHEL region in the vicinity of the great Sahara Desert and the horn of Africa the food insecurity is approaching
desperate levels.
OUR
APPEAL
We appeal to you, Your
Excellency, to consider facilitating, within your power and authority, the
freeing of grain currently in Ukrainian ports for African and other emerging
markets, where increasing prices and cost of living is likely to result in
social and political upheavals.
If the grain and oil seed
can quickly reach the African shores then the poor households would have been
cushioned till the next harvest.
Your Excellency, by enabling
the free movement of grain and oil seed you would have achieved twin imperatives
of saving humanity and halting the globalization the Russo-Ukraine Conflict.
I’m aware that you have
already asserted that the grain can only be released if sanctions against your
country have been removed by the West.
Mr. President Sir, it will
be unfortunate to continue on that stance because a lot of Africans would have
lost their lives due to hunger but also due to civil strife which is likely to
ensue. I would like to believe that you have seen the tragic events unfolding
in the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
There is also a danger of disinformation
whereby the suffering and starving masses are told that they are in that
predicament because the President of the Russian Federation is hoarding grain. It
is therefore in your best interest and certainly for the sake of your
reputation that you expedite the release of grain and oil seed to poor
countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and small Island nations
purely on humanitarian basis and your gesture will go a long way to ameliorate
the plight of these people, particularly vulnerable groups like the unemployed,
the elderly, orphans, residents in conflict areas, people living with disabilities, women, children among others.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Your
Excellency, ponder this issue carefully and respond as swiftly is as
practicable, shunning procrastination, for help for Africans is likely to come
from other quarters and you would have squandered a diplomatic opportunity to portray
yourself, your country and the Russian people as humane and not monsters.
Sincerely,
Robert Mudzvova
4th June 2022
Johannesburg, South Africa
