Zimbabwe-The bread basket of Africa.

Zimbabwe’s rural poor have little interest in the latest political developments in their country, all they want is an end to hunger and diseases which have devastated the country for years.

"I do not want to talk about politics," said Florence Munyaradzi, a peasant farmer from the southeastern village of Gutu.

"Things used to be fine. Now we depend on donor organisations for food, farming inputs and everything," the 37-year-old mother said blankly.

Like the majority of Zimbabwean rural poor, her husband is unemployed and the family depends on rations of the staple corn meal, cooking oil, beans and salt to survive.

Years of hardship have made the gaunt mother reluctant to talk about politics, to the point she is not aware that Morgan Tsvangirai is now the new prime minister -- and his promises to change the lives of the people.

Her children face a bleak future as they spend most of their time herding cattle or performing household chores instead of going to school.

Schools in the district remain closed as teachers demand salaries in foreign currency to cushion them against runaway inflation which has rendered the local currency worthless.

According to aid organisations, the rural poor had been the hardest hit by the political and economical situation.

"We call upon the government to channel resources towards fighting malaria and avoid the development of another outbreak, while we are still struggling to contain cholera and feed the people," said Oxfam district administrator, Makepeace Mzenda.

Harare blames the shortfall on drought, but critics put much of the blame on its agricultural policy begun eight years ago.

Often violent land reforms saw the seizures of at least 4,000 properties formerly run by white farmers for redistribution to landless blacks, the majority of whom lacked the skills and means to farm.

In Mazuru, a semi-arid area 290 kilometres (180 miles) southeast of capital Harare, villagers depend on farming crops that require little rain like groundnuts and sorghum -- which are exchanged for maize at harvest time.

However, this year’s farming season was the bleakest as people could not afford to buy or access inputs for crops.

"We have two dams here ... I hope one day we will be able to have a big irrigation scheme which will provide employment for us," said Thomas Chirambamuriwo.

"We are tired of living off handouts," the barefoot unemployed youth told AFP.

In his inauguration speech on Wednesday, Tsvangirai promised additional emergency food distribution and an end to distribution according to political lines.

"The transitional government will make food more available and more affordable by removing all duties on foodstuffs imported into the country," said Tsvangirai.

"In the short term, we will convene a food summit of all relevant stake holders to help us ensure that no Zimbabwean goes hungry," he added.

Buying food has become a luxury only a few can afford -- with inflation last estimated in July at 231 million percent.