Cllr Nzombe
…as party chefs shield bribe-seeking councillor
Beatific
Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI
– The decision by the Zanu PF provincial
disciplinary committee to recall two councillors accused of voting for an MDC
Alliance council chairperson candidate could backfire after the councillors
threatened to take up their case to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The
councillors deny the charges and argue that the decision to expel them was
meant to protect corrupt provincial executive members who understood that
having the two councillors in the housing committee would be a threat to their
corrupt land deals.
Zanu
PF failed to win the Chiredzi chairmanship after they fielded two candidates against
MDC Alliance’s Gibson Hwende who went on to win the race. Zanu PF’s two
candidates collectively got three votes despite having four councillors in the
chambers, meaning at least one ruling party councillor voted for Hwende. The
deputy chairmanship went to an independent councillor and the result showed
that at least one Zanu PF councillor had again voted for the opposition.
A
subsequent witch-hunt produced nothing but a provincial disciplinary committee
which consisted of party provincial administrator Ailes Baloyi and provincial
commissar Jevas Masosota found Ward 2 councillor Obert Ngwenya and his Ward 8
counterpart Josphat Nzombe guilty.
Baloyi
presented findings of the disciplinary committee before a Provincial
Coordinating Committee (PCC), recommending the recall of the two councillors.
Cllr Ngwenya
The
decision, however, awaits ratification by the national disciplinary committee
which would serve the councillors with recall letters should it agree with the
findings.
A
letter of notification purportedly written by provincial chairperson Ezra
Chadzamira has already been sent to Chiredzi Town Secretary, Charles Muchatukwa
notifying him of the developments.
The
disciplinary committee is, however, accused of ignoring overwhelming evidence
showing that Blessings Mazinyani of Ward 5 had solicited and received bribes
from almost every councillor for him to step-out of chairmanship race.
After
pocketing over $500 in bribes, Mazinyani still entered the race and caused
serious confusion which ultimately doomed the party’s chances in the race.
Despite these revelations, Mazinyani was spared and the axe, instead, fell on
Ngwenya who did not even contest for the post because the party had ordered him
not to do so.
When
contacted for comment, Chadzamira said the councillors had not yet been served
with their letters of recall because the decision awaits ratification by the
national disciplinary committee.
“The
councillors were found guilty at provincial level so the decision has to be
ratified at national level. If the national concurs, then the councillors would
be served with their letters of recall,” said Chadzamira.
But
Ngwenya warned that attempts to fire them from the party was not going to be as
easy as other people thought.
“I
was prepared to stand for the post of chairmanship but the province stopped me
from contesting for that post and I respected the order. I was later asked to
stand as chairperson for the housing committee and again I obliged. So now I am
being punished because I received seven votes out of a possible eight, meaning
some opposition councillors voted for me. Is it a crime to be a man of the
people? I asked Chadzamira informally and he actually gave me the Masvingo
Urban scenario (where a Zanu PF candidate got four votes from MDC-A) saying
being voted for by the opposition was a good sign of mobilisation strategy on
our part.
“I
have strong financial independence and I hate corruption so upon hearing that I
was going to chair the housing committee, the top leadership in Chiredzi
panicked as they knew I was going to expose them hence the move to fire me. I
will not go easily,” said Ngwenya.
Ngwenya’s
ward is the only one in the urban area where Mnangagwa got more votes than the
MDC Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa in the July 30 national harmonised elections.
On
his part, Nzombe told TellZim News he was surprised to see Mazinyani contesting
after he had paid him money not to contest.
“Mazinyani
asked for a bribe to buy him out of the race and I paid everything which he
demanded but I was shocked to see him standing on election day. Mazinyani got
bribes from both Zanu PF and MDC councillors. I suspect he is the one who voted
with the MDC because he took their money. I remember first giving him $50 and
later $70 and he said he was satisfied.
“What
shocks us is that despite all the evidence about Mazinyani’s double standards,
he remains the party leadership’s darling. Those who sat on the disciplinary
committee are from Chiredzi and they have vested interests in what happens here
so we asked them to recuse themselves as they were conflicted but they refused
as they wanted us out of council at all cost,” said Nzombe.
When
TellZim News contacted him for comment, Mazinyani admitted he received money
from other councillors but he denied that the money was meant to bribe him out
of the contest.
He
said he was actually surprised that everyone had suddenly started to ‘donate’
money for his drinks.
However,
his colleagues said they had started demanding back their money since Mazinyani
did nothis side of the bargain.
