Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has urged Zimbabweans to replace sadza with porridge to conserve maize meal ahead of a potentially severe El Niño-induced drought, warning that some people could die of hunger if they rely solely on government assistance.

Addressing legislators at a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo on Friday, Mudenda called on MPs to promote food conservation, reduce waste, and encourage households to make their grain supplies last longer.

Recalling the 1957 drought, he said families reduced their meals from three a day to two and increasingly relied on porridge instead of sadza.

“If you cook porridge, you save on mealie-meal. Tell the people that there is no sadza that should be thrown away,” he said.

“If we rely only on the fiscus, some people will die of hunger.”

Mudenda warned that the looming “Super El Niño” could bring extreme heat and below-normal rainfall, threatening agricultural production in a country heavily dependent on rain-fed farming.

He said the 2027 national budget should strengthen social protection programmes to ensure vulnerable households receive assistance.

He also urged MPs to use their oversight role to ensure support reaches those who need it most.