….Police called as candidates block entry to GMB at Nyika
Kudakwashe Gopo
TellZim reporter
20 Jan 2017 – Bikita – As the vote-buying spree reaches fever pitch ahead of the Bikita West by-election scheduled for tomorrow, Zim PF candidate Kudakwashe Gopo and independent; Innocent Muzvimbiri have teamed up to block the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Nyika depot entrance to prevent Zanu PF officials from ferrying maize that is being used for vote-buying.
The incident happened this morning (Friday) after a daring Gopo and his counterpart used their cars to block the gate out of frustration with the ruling party’s increasingly brazen use of food aid to buy votes.
“We are irritated by the continual flagrant abuse of public resources and food aid as campaigning tools. We have watched for a long time as they gathered people in ward 9 and 10 to give them food along partisan lines.
“We then came together and used our cars to block the entrance. The police were called and we raised our concerns with them. The social welfare officers pleaded with us saying the food was to be taken to Bikita East and not Bikita West so they agreed that we provide escort cars to make sure the food truly goes to Bikita East,” said a livid Gopo.
He also said they will make sure that no other food supplies would be taken from the depot until after the by-election.
“We cannot continue to watch Zanu PF abusing power and engaging in unethical political practices,” said Gopo.news
