Zimbabwe's drought bites

KOTWA, ZIMBABWE, July 9 (AFP): A bed of sand and a patch of mud is all that remains of Kapotesa dam, which once provided the water vital for crops and livestock in this remote part of Zimbabwe.

Nearby, farmer Georgina Kwengwere walks among corn stalks dessicated by the drought that is ravaging her country and leaving millions of people in need of food aid.

"I did not harvest anything after all my effort and using all our savings to buy seeds," the 54-year-old told AFP, shaking her head despondently. "Not even a single cob."

The Kapotesa dam dried up in May, Kwengwere said. "Only God knows how we are going to survive until the next harvest next year," she said.

When the rains are good, water from the dam in the northeastern Mudzi district allows Kwengwere and her husband to grow vegetables to feed themselves and their six children. There is even a surplus to sell for cash to buy livestock and pay school fees.