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| Tongai Matutu |
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Matutu’s bank accounts, passport had been flagged and law certificate revoked
Upenyu Chaota
Former
MDC Alliance member, Tongai Matutu, who recently crossed the floor and joined
the ruling Zanu PF party in a red carpet event presided over by President
Mnangagwa and his two deputies at the State House, was greatly betrayed by
Nelson Chamisa who made him feel unwanted, TellZim News has learnt.
Sources
said the former MDC Alliance top official found himself between a rock and a
hard place as his personal life was being turned inside out largely because of
his membership to the MDC Alliance.
Matutu
told TellZim News that joining Zanu PF was the hardest decision he ever made
but he had to do it since he was being victimized for supporting a party which
did not want him.
“I was
never wanted in MDC especially by the leaders. I have no problem with the
grassroots and I apologise to them.
“They
supported me but the leadership made sure that I did not belong. I came to Zanu
PF to just be a card carrying member and I now believe Zanu PF is a better home.
“I was
a Politically Exposed Person (PEP). If you walk into any bank ask them who is a
(PEP). I was placed under sanctions by Zanu PF. I earned my money through
honest means but my accounts were all flagged and they thought that I was
receiving some donor funds.
“I
could have easily invested in Masvingo but the Zimra people literally chased me
away. They did not want me to do anything because of politics. They would not
approve anything linked to my name.
“Zanu
PF fought me and I understand because I was fighting them back but what I
failed to understand was why my own brothers fought me. It was not an easy
decision to join Zanu PF but in the end life has to go on,” said Matutu.
A source
said a senior war veteran facilitated the process of Matutu joining Zanu PF after
his 11th hour disqualification from contesting in the Masvingo
provincial congress which presided over by Chamisa himself in 2019.
“It is
public knowledge that Matutu once left the MDC and joined the then Tendai Biti-led
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but then had to come back home to the MDC
because that has always been his home but he never felt welcome.
“Many
MDC Alliance members from his province considered him to be a threat to their
own leadership aspirations within the party. He was a darling to many people in
the grassroots because he was like a father figure who provided for them during
difficult times.
“Matutu’s
philanthropic gestures did not sink well with the provincial leadership who
thought he was out to take over the leadership and they did everything to shut
him out,” said the source.
The
source said that in the build up to the 2019 provincial congress, Matutu
approached Chamisa to get clearance for him to be allowed to contest for the provincial
chairperson seat.
“When
Matutu started campaigning for the provincial congress last year, Chamisa
ordered him to come see him at his offices and he did.
“They
talked like brothers and Chamisa gave Matutu his blessing before sealing it
with a prayer. Matutu believed that since Chamisa is a pastor, the prayer meant
that what had been sealed by men has also been sealed in heaven.
“However,
that turned out to be a charade when Chamisa went on to disqualify Matutu on election
night. Matutu tried to seek redress from Chamisa but to no avail,” said the
source.
Another
source said Matutu supporters tried to protest to Chamisa but again it was a
futile exercise as his fate was already sealed.
The
source revealed that Matutu was having challenges accessing money from his bank
accounts which had all been apparently flagged at the instigation of state
security agents who wanted to punish him for winning a court case against a
Zanu-PF linked company.
“He no
longer had any functional bank card. He would transfer money from his account
to another person’s account for him to be able to use his money because his
accounts were under strict monitoring.
“In one
of his bank, he was told that his problems were political and the bank could
not do anything since it was an order from the highest authorities.
“He
would request a bank card but it would not last for two hours before all Point
of Sale machines declined it. It was very difficult for him but he kept
supporting Chamisa,” said the source.
Matutu’s
loyalty to Chamisa saw him being targeted and put on Zanu PF’s own ‘sanctioned
persons’ list, with his passport requiring regular security clearance and his
law practicing certificate getting revoked for alleged misdemeanors.
It is
said that out of frustration, Matutu picked up his phone and called a top war
veteran, whom the source refused to call by name and lashed out at him saying Zanu
PF was ‘satanic’.
The war
veteran, who is said to be related to Matutu, then offered to help him get over
his troubles if he would acquiesce to the requirements.
“The
war veteran requested $500 airtime promising to fix Matutu’s woes. The war
veteran then got back to Matutu informing him that his problems were being
caused because of his allegiance to Chamisa.
“Matutu
then asked why Zanu PF was targeting him alone since he holds no position in
Chamisa’s MDC to which the war veteran told him that belonging to the party
warranted the sanctions.
“The
war veteran told Matutu that he had arranged a meeting between him and the
Central Intelligence Organisation director Isaac Moyo in Harare. Matutu went
for that meeting and I did not get what they talked about but it is after that
meeting when he made his decision.
“Matutu
decided to join Zanu PF to save his business and career because it was not
worth it to risk everything for a party which did not want him,” said the
source.
It is
said that many people from MDC Alliance who were supported by Matutu wanted to
go with him to Zanu PF but Matutu said his decision was personal and people
should not follow him because of that.
“A lot
of people wanted to go with Matutu to Zanu PF because they felt Chamisa was
being unfair but Matutu stopped them telling them if they want to join Zanu PF,
it should be their personal choices.
“He
could have gone with truckloads of people if he wanted to be malicious but he
did not,” said the source.
