….plot thickens as Masunda files formal complaint
Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – The saga between two Zanu PF Councilors, Livison Paradza and Beatrice Masunda, from Ward 9 in Zaka, who recently clashed over a funeral speech, has escalated to new heights after Masunda threw a dramatic twist into the turmoil by filing a formal complaint of abuse and victimization.
In a letter seen by this publication, Masunda’s complaint has been dispatched to an extensive list of recipients, including Zaka Rural District Council, Zaka Central MP, the Office of the President and Cabinet, Zaka District Development Coordinator (DDC), Zaka Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson, Zanu PF provincial chairperson, and the provincial women’s league chair, among other influential figures.
Paradza is the ward sitting councilor while Masunda got in through proportional representation and according to a local arrangement, she was assigned to work mainly in wards 9, 13, 14, and 15.
In the letter, which was copied to a number of authorities both in party structures and in government the councilor said she was verbally abused and was being distracted from executing her duties.
“I hereby write to present a grievance against the above-stated Councilor over a verbal abuse incident among a plethora of other such incidents which I priorly have deliberately let go unrecorded and unsaid with the hope that the working relationship between me in my capacity as a Proportional Representation (PR) /Women Quota Councillor resident in Ward 9- Zaka Central Constituency and the above stated Councilor would improve,” reads part of the letter.
On November 14, Masunda attended a funeral in ward 9 at Choga homestead, which Paradza did not attend most probably because he was at work since he is a teacher at a local school.
As the only councilor present at the funeral, Masunda claims that during the course of the funeral proceedings, she was accorded a privilege to relay a condolence message to the bereaved family which she did.
“I as the councilor present on site, during the course of the funeral proceedings, was accorded the privilege to relay a condolence message to the bereaved family and the community members (males and females) present which I did in confidence.
“This did not go down well with my colleague Councilor who after getting wind of this particular incident later called me at a date and time already stated above indicating that I had overstepped my responsibilities and mandate as a PR Councilor,” read part of the letter.
In the audio, Paradza told Masunda that she could not proceed to any gathering or any such social events or address the Ward 9 community without his consent and that the PR councillor was inferior since they had not garnered direct votes from the electorate so they should stay away and confine themselves to women issues only.
In the letter, Masunda said she was no longer able to discharge her duties well after the intimidation and sought protection as her name and image were being soiled.
“I can no longer execute my duties as mandated, am not psychologically well as I continue to visualize the monster personality in my colleague Councilor who I however revere so much. I am also afraid that my confidence, personal image, and integrity as a public figure continue to be eroded as my counterpart continues to spread word in Ward 9 that the PR (Woman Quota) Councillor post is not authentic. It is very unfortunate that my colleague Councillor continues to betray the social trust and responsibility bestowed on him by the electorate – “to be the social custodian of the community, women inclusive bearing in mind that women are naturally more vulnerable than men and always look up for protection from men,” said Masunda in the letter.
However, other sources said the matter was not between the two but between Paradza and the Member of Parliament for Zaka Central Davis Marapira who is alleged to have assigned PR councilors in his constituency to different wards for easy coordination and this did not go down well with the male councilors who felt that Marapira was overriding them and working with women.
“The feud is between Paradza and Marapira as well as some Zaka Central councilors like Tererai Tererai of ward 8 and Hakufiwi Hakufiwi of ward 18 as well as Paradza who are being alleged to be siding with Marapira’s party rivalry Manfred Mada who lost to him in the party primaries and eyeing the seat in 2028,” the source said.
Contacted for comment earlier Provincial party chair Robson Mavenyengwa seemed to have sided with Paradza saying PR councilors should seek permission and should address gatherings in consultation with the ward councilor.
Interestingly, Zaka RDC chairperson is a woman who got in through the quota system.
