Tinotenda Hove – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday toured and “officially commissioned” the Mutare Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Smart Silos, an event many critics say is more about political showmanship than solving Zimbabwe’s deepening food crisis.

While the President unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the facility, the move drew mixed reactions from the public, with some questioning the relevance of such ceremonies when millions of Zimbabweans continue to face food insecurity.

Mnangagwa also launched the Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2026–2030, which he claimed would “boost productivity” and “improve rural livelihoods.” However, skeptics argue that similar promises have been made before, with little to show on the ground.

The so-called Mutare Smart Silos are part of the government’s recurring pledges to modernize agriculture — a promise that has yet to translate into real change for struggling farmers and hungry households across the country.