Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA–Chief Nhema born Rangarirai Bwawanda of Zaka who recently made headlines after promising Zanu PF more than five million votes in 2023 has given Zaka East MP who is the ruling party District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson and Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development Clemence Chiduwa an order not to cross Chiredzi River into wards that fall under the former’s area of jurisdiction.
Chiduwa is not allowed to be in wards 20, 21, 26 and 31 that fall under his constituency and also under Chief Nhema’s area after the two allegedly clashed over Zanu PF’s Central Committee nominees in Zaka with Chiduwa alleged to be supporting Nyasha Gavaza whilst Nhema is in support of Davis Marapira who recently transferred from Masvingo to Zaka district.
Marapira is the sitting MP for Masvingo North but is said to be eyeing Zaka Central and is also the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Sources who spoke to TellZim News claim that the Chief has since ordered all party chairpersons in these wards not to attend any meeting organized by Chiduwa or else they will face serious consequences.
However, when contacted for comment, Chief Nhema refuted the allegations saying it’s actually Chiduwa who was instructing the party chairpersons not to go to him.
“If anyone is saying I have banned Chiduwa from my area, he or she is lying. I have never instructed anyone from my area not to attend his programmes, it’s actually him who instructed the chairpersons from visiting me their Chief,” said Nhema.
Quizzed on why Chiduwa was banning chairpersons from visiting him, Nhema said Chiduwa was the best person to answer that saying he was not aware of the reason.
He went on to say he doesn’t fear Chiduwa and if there is anything that needs clarification, he would just face him as he has been doing all along and as it stands there is nothing much that warrants him to ban him in his area.
“I don’t fear him and if there is anything I simply tell him man to man, he is my MP and I am a Chief with an area within his constituency so we have to work together for development. I have not reached a point of banning him in my area like I did to Chakona (former Zaka Central MP Paradzai Chakona) at some point and if need be I can simply tell him that. I have talked to his constituency coordinator over the matter,” added Nhema.
On his part Chiduwa said it was not a ban but they had some issues which they deliberated and ironed out saying he was working well with Marapira who is being fronted by the Chief as government officials.
“We had some disagreements over some issues but I think they have been resolved. I cannot say I was banned by Chief Nhema because if he does that, it would affect development,” said Chiduwa.
However, sources who spoke to TellZim News said the issue emanated from Marapira’s transfer to Zaka and being seconded into the Central Committee (CC) aspiring candidates and him being Nhema’s favorite candidate for both CC and MP for Zaka Central come 2023.
“When Marapira’s transfer letter was presented to the DCC, it appeared as if his issue had been deliberated by Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) but Ophias Murambiwa (Maga–Maga) of Zaka West and Pepukai Chiwewe who is Chiduwa’s right hand man questioned where it was deliberated since they sit in both PEC and Zaka DCC.
“Chiduwa was then tasked to enquire by the DCC and it was established that his transfer was not done procedurally but the issue was just dropped and Marapira was welcomed in Zaka,” said the source.
The source went on to say the matter only got sour when Marapira indicated that he wanted to contest in the Central Committee and Nhema pushed party chairpersons in Zaka East to drop the constituency nominee Nyasha Gavaza and vote for Marapira.
“The four MPs of Zaka had each seconded a person for the post with Zaka West’s Maga Maga having thrown his hat in the ring. So Gavaza was nominated for Zaka East since he is the only interested candidate who qualifies. However, Nhema started to influence chairpersons in Zaka East to vote for Marapira ahead of Gavaza.
“He even told Chiduwa that the chairpersons were against Gavaza’s candidature but Chiduwa told him to let them contest and indicated that Marapira could win or lose and that’s when Chief Nhema told Chiduwa that he never wants to see him crossing Chiredzi River which boarders Nhema and Bota areas in Zaka East,” said the source.
Chief Nhema is a staunch supporter of ZANU PF who openly supports the party and each election he has his own favourite candidate.
In the run up to 2018, Nhema was rallying behind James Makiya and he often had clashes with Chakona whom he openly banned from his area.
Both Makiya and Chakona went on to lose in the primary elections to Davison Svuure who is the current MP and has found another candidate in form of Marapira who hails from his area.
