…women complain on exploitation during election periods

Courage Dutiro

As the country is moving towards the 2023 general elections, women with disabilities have said during election periods some people have a habit of exploiting People with Disabilities (PWDs) only to achieve their political goals.
Speaking during the launch of Persons with Disabilities 4ED in Masvingo, another ‘4ED’ organisation, national executive member of the affiliate Emily Muchaembera said they have noted with concern that during election period, women with disabilities are used without benefits by some politicians.
“During the election period, some people have a tendency of using women with disabilities without any benefit.
“When taken to rallies, we face transport problems and sometimes when we attend rallies we can spend the whole day without eating. As the PWDs4ED, we are there to protect women from such things,” said Muchaembera.
Several 4ED groups that are being used by Zanu PF to lure support for the party have recently been launched.
Masvingo ward 10 councillor Sengerayi Manyanga said PWDs4ED have a duty to drum up support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“This is a Zanu PF affiliate; it supports the party. We want to reach five million votes, so it is your duty to net new members,” said Manyanga.
Bishop Amos Mapiko told PWDs4ED that they are going to benefit more after the elections when Mnangagwa wins the election.
“Vote for President Mnangagwa to get funding from the senior officials after elections. If the President gets back into office, the PWDs will be remembered,” he said.
During the question and answer segment some of the participants at the PWDs4ED launch said what was being said is not what they were witnessing on the ground and are being left out in Presidential agricultural input schemes.
“What is being said here is not what is being done when it comes to agricultural inputs distribution by those in authority in Masvingo. We are sometimes left out in some party and government schemes,” said one participant.
Other 4ED groups that have been registered include Young women 4ED, Mahwindi 4ED, Teachers 4ED, and others like councillors4ED.

…teachers from 2 schools, hospital staff put into party cells

Brighton Chiseva

2 Zanu PF took it’s intimidation tactics to a higher level following reports that the ruling party is forcing teachers and nurses to buy party cards in Masvingo province.
Zaka district women boss Confidence Mukau is on the forefront and has been to Musiso Mission hospital where she allegedly forced all the nurses and teachers at the mission to buy party cards or face undisclosed consequences.
Zaka District in Masvingo has become the new battle ground for Zanu PF factional fights and recently the party was in a restructuring and cell verification exercise with two warring factions fighting to control the exercise.
A faction aligned to Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira led by district women’s league chairperson Confidence Mukau is alleged to have forced people at Musiso Mission into cells and to buy party cards.
The Mission is in ward 19, a well – known opposition territory which has an opposition councilor since 2008 and Musiso is home to a number of teachers and nurses as well as other Catholic members who are perceived to belong to opposition parties.
Sources at the mission said Mukau led a team which was forcing teachers, nurses and other ancillary staff at the mission into party cell registers and to buy cards at a cost of US$ 3.
“We are appealing to the press to expose Zanu PF here in Zaka, they are forcing us to buy party cards whereas we are not even part of them. We are no longer at peace here as we are being forced to belong to the party through buying the membership cards,” said the source.
Another source said a few weeks ago another team went to the mission for cell registration and they forced people to register into the cells and a number of people just submitted their names out of fear of victimization.
The source said some known party members were even left out of the exercise in a move suspected to target new members into the cells register for primary elections as the faction tries to shrug off competition form the Provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa’s camp.
“A few weeks ago they were here at the mission doing cell verification and registration. All teachers, nurses and student nurses were forced into cells and the list of names was used to get presidential inputs from GMB but only teachers from both the mission schools got the inputs and the nurses failed and they are bitter.
Mukau is alleged to have reserved the remainder of the inputs for use at her sugarcane plot in the Lowveld and the hospital side is generally disgruntled since they did not benefit and she is accused of using inputs to woo supporters to the detriment of other beneficiaries.
“Jerera and the ward 19 community is generally disgruntled with the unfair distribution of presidential inputs and Mukau has been abusing the privilege ever since she assumed her women affairs post. Since the ward has an opposition councilor, she collects the allocation on behalf of the party on the pretext that the inputs will be distributed to ward 19 residents which she together with Ward 19 A Zanu PF party district chairperson who is also a mortuary attendant at St Anthony’s Musiso Mission hospital Farai Pondo, mainly distributes to St Anthony’s schools which she believes is her stronghold as she prepares for the women quota 2023 elections race,” said the source.
Mukau stays at the St Anthony’s High School cottage by virtue of being wife to one Mukau a building studies teacher and is also closely related to former Catholic Bishop Michael Bhasera-a privilege she uses to threaten all mission staff.
She is also accused of using her influence to get tenders of supplying mainly detergents at the school.
Efforts to get a comment from Mukau were futile as her cell was not reachable several times.
When contacted for comment, Zanu PF Provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said he was not aware that people are being forced to buy party cards and warned party members who were doing that to desist from such practices saying Zanu PF membership cannot be forced.
He said he will contact relevant authorities within the district to get an understanding of what is happening within the party rank and file.
“I haven’t received any complaint about people being forced to buy party cards. However, it’s unlikely for us to force people because cards are sold to members only and they come willingly so we cannot force non-members. At Musiso Mission, we have a number of party members some who are even in the district executive so those are the ones whom we target when we go there and those who are not part of us should be left out I will talk to the district chairperson to about the issue so that it will be addressed,” said Mavhenyengwa.
On cell registration exercise Mavhenyengwa said he was not aware again but he understands that could possibly happen as others could be trying to influence those in cell registers so that it works to their advantage at primary elections.
“I understand what you are saying, we had a cell registration exercise in all areas Musiso included but we target our own people there. However, others could be trying to create their own cell registers for their advantage and we will look into the matter,” said Mavhenyengwa.
Zaka District is well known for political violence since 2002 and a number of opposition supporters were killed and some injured and the scars of the 2002 and 2008 violence are still fresh in opposition parties.

… Accuse DDC of using inputs to force them into submission

Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA- Nyakunhuwa clansmen have vowed to resist the appointment of Oswell Maguta as the new substantive chief saying he not from the five houses that have a stake in the Nyakunhuwa chieftaincy.
His appointment came as a result of the late expiry of term of office of the former acting Chief Courage Mashavave who took over reins in 2016 following the death of his father Jerera Wafawanaka Mashavave in 2015.
Constitutionally when a Chief dies, the acting chief is appointed mainly from his surviving biological children and should reign on acting basis for only two years.
However, in many instances acting chiefs manipulate the selection processes to remain in power which they mainly do using political muscle usurped from supporting the ruling party.
Mashavave, a staunch Zanu PF supporter who publicly declared his support for the party told his lieutenants (headmen and village heads) to support the party going against the constitution which forbids traditional leaders from being partisan.
Since the formation of the chieftaincy, five houses namely Mutsvangwa, Mutonhori, Mututuvare, Murembwa and Machingambi have been taking turns to rule and now regard as the imposition of the Baramanza family into their chieftaincy as irregular.
The houses claim to solely have the legitimate right to choose and agree on who sits on the Nyakunhuwa throne.
One of the Nyakunhuwa headmen Junias Magadzire who is headman Mutsvangwa said they will not submit to the new chief who is not from one of the five houses saying the chief is being imposed on them violating their tradition.
He went on to accuse the District Development Coordinator (DDC) Memory Dhliwayo of being bribed by the Baramhanza family to sneak them into the chieftaincy.
“Our tradition is being violated, we have been rotating the chieftaincy amongst the five houses and it’s only now when the Baramanza family is showing up. We will not submit to him and we will fight for what is rightfully ours,” said Magadzire.
He went on to accuse the DDC of using presidential input distribution programmes to parade and impose the new chief saying those who do not submit to him will not benefit from the scheme.
“We refused to attend meetings called for by the DDC to introduce the new chief and the DDC is now targeting food aid and input distribution schemes to parade the new chief to the people and threatening to deregister those who resist his ascendency to the throne from the beneficiary lists. However, we are here for that and we will continue to fight for what is legitimately ours,” added Magadzire.
He said they will soon go to Harare to seek audience with the responsible ministry to look into the matter.
Efforts to get comments from Dhliwayo and her boss, Dr Jefta Sakupwanya who is the Permanent Secretary in the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution’s office were futile as both their cellphones went unanswered several times.
In 2020, the five houses petitioned the Permanent Secretary in the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, then Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC), Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution as well as the Provincial Chief’s Council, claiming that the Baramanza house’s claim to the throne was illegitimate.
They said the founding chief, who is their forefather, had five sons whose descendants are the legitimate ruling families and they do not include the Baramanza family whom they claim descended from the one of the founding chief’s brothers.
In their petition letter, they said their chieftaincy’s peace was being threatened by the Baramanza clan through fraudulent means thereby depriving them their legitimate birthright.
Nyakunhuwa chieftaincy derives its name from the heroics of a highly-decorated strategist and military genius named Chamagwenjere who defied his health ailments when his back oozed worms but soldiered on, with the wounds producing an unbearable smell hence the moniker Nyakunhuwa, legend says.
They said Chamagwenjere fought and established his own territory so it will be very unfair to share the spoils with his brothers and cousins who did not partake in his struggles.
They claim that Chamagwenjere was son to Donoro whose brother Muyengwa is the forefather of the Baramanza clan.
Donoro himself was son to Svazvi and the contemporary Baramanza clan as well as several others such as Chakanyuka and Chipato who are descendants of Muyengwa and therefore, have no legitimate right to a ruling class established by Chamangwenjere.
In the entire history of this chieftainship, only the above mentioned sons have reportedly enjoyed turns to the the throne and Baramanza ascendency would be the first time the chieftainship goes out of the five houses.
From the papers which they claimed were obtained from the National Archives, the throne went to Mukazi who was from the Murembwa family after the death of Chamangwenjere. It later on moved to Matorevhu of the Machingambi family, who held it until 1920.
The chieftainship remained in Machingambi family under Mafuratidze who reigned until 1941 and was replaced by Mashawi who acted until he died in 1944.
Chiwoniwoni from Mutsvangwa family took over until 1971 and his son Hakurimwe was acting chief until he was replaced by Zimunga who was also from the Machingambi family.
From 1975, the chieftaincy went to Dzviti of the Mututuvare family, who reigned until 2004 only to be replaced by Mashavave from Machingambi family who reigned until his death in 2015.
The disgruntled family’s claim that the archival material show that the Mutonhori family had never held the chieftainship and is a better option than the Baramanzas.
The Nyakunhuwa chieftainship kingmaker (Zigadzi) Godfree Muzvimwe once claimed that the Baramanza family bribed their way into the royalty and they do not deserve to the there.
“We think the DCC and the chief’s council representatives were bribed. The matter started way back before the beginning of the tenure of the current DCC. The preceding DCC was bribed by the Baramanza family,” said Muzvimwe.
They equated themselves to the Biblical 12 tribes of Israel, whom they said were now being unfairly robbed of their heritage by the descendants of Esau.

Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – As the 2023 harmonized elections beckon, Zanu PF factional clashes are escalating in Zaka where infighting has become the order of the day.
The district is torn between Zanu PF provincial chairperson, Zaka North Member of Parliament (MP) Robson Mavhenyengwa and Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira.
Zaka Central MP Davison Svuure who is also Zaka District Coordinating Committee (DCC) vice chairperson and a Chadzamira fanatic has been roped into the fights, once again clashing with his Ward 8 Councilor Tererai Tererai over input distribution.
The two have been at loggerheads for some time with Tererai being accused of backing other ‘dark horses’ who intend to throw their hats in the ring come 2023 primary elections including Agriculture Deputy Minister and Masvingo North sitting MP Davis Marapira who is vying for the seat.
The recent clash is alleged to have taken place at Gwangwava Shopping Centre in ward 8 where inputs for the ward were supposed to be distributed and Svuure is alleged to have said unprintable words to insult Tererai.
It is alleged that Svuure came and asked the councilor to take inputs to other centres for distribution which did not go down well with the councilor and his close allies who then accused Svuure of taking inputs to his strong holds.
Contacted for comment, Tererai said there was a small misunderstanding which was later resolved and refused to comment further.
“We had a misunderstanding with the MP on the day of distribution but we later found common ground and went ahead. I cannot comment further on the issue,” said Tererai
On his part Svuure dismissed the accusations as mere political smearing saying his Christian values and Ubuntu could not allow him to go that far.
“I am not directly involved in distribution of inputs; that’s the councilor, Agritex officials’. However, my oversight role involves me depending on the situation. On the day in question I was called by community members who were saying the councilor wants to distribute all the inputs at one place contrary to what we had agreed.
“We have three distribution centres in the ward to reduce travelling distance to cater for our elderly and disabled community members. So I went there and insisted that we honor that agreement and we did that. However, there are some political opponents who are fighting me and they are the ones taking advantage of that incident to further their interests by lying to the people.
“I am a Christian and a pastor myself so that cannot allow me to insult someone with a disability. That message was just drama meant to taint my name,” said Svuure.
Svuure is also accused of taking cement from Mbuyamaswa Clinic project in ward 9 and divert it to other uses and sources allege that Marapira is influencing police to arrest Svuure over the cement issue.
On the cement issue Svuure said he took the cement for other developmental projects in the ward and the constituency and it was above board since he sought permission from the health ministry officials’ after which they agreed.
“The cement was drying and could not be used for the clinic but other light work and I will return the cement when it’s needed,” he said.
On his part Marapira said he had no power to get people arrested saying he was not even aware of the cement in question.
“How can I get Svuure arrested? It’s the duty of the police and I am not involved. I don’t even know about the cement and if the cement was taken I am sure the locals are aware and if it was taken without their consent then there is a case. I cannot support what is wrong,” said Marapira.