Cephas Shava
Mwenezi-Some known local Zanu PF members who were seeking to arm twist Mwenezi Rural District Council ( MRDC) in the on-going Rutenga Growth Point flea market stands allocation recently disrupted the programme as they demanded a section of the project to be specifically reserved for ruling party supporters.
The RDC officials convened prospective flea market applicants at Rutenga sub Council offices on August 22, 2022 to give them working places but the meeting had to be aborted after some Zanu PF members interjected demanding a market place specifically meant for party loyalist and council had no other option than postponing the programme.
Mwenezi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Chivanga who acknowledged the disturbances said as a local authority they were going to proceed with the just distribution of flea markets stands to all the applicants.
“We regret the disturbances that occurred on Monday (August 22), but we are not going to be deterred by them. As MRDC, we are not there to please the interests of specific individuals but our mandate as the local authority is to fairly save all residents.
“As it stands, we are finalizing the compilation of all our applicants’ data. We have got flea market spaces which are going to cater for everyone including war veterans, the disabled, youth, women and men. No one is going to be side lined at the expense of another,” said Chivanga.
However, soon after Monday’s disturbances one vocal local Zanu PF youth Jasper Mhaka who could not mince his unkind words accused the local authority of poor service delivery around Rutenga growth point and disregarding Zanu PF orders in an audio which went viral on social media.
“Around Rutenga growth point, there is poor service delivery and everything is completely down. Rutenga is the only ward where the party lost elections because of council’s poor service delivery.
“We convened with council officials as a party and the officials told us that they have got four areas set aside for flea markets and we requested one area to be given to us as a party so that we campaign for President Mnangangwa and Zanu PF through allocating flea market stands on party lines. How are we going to campaign when the council which is composed of people whom we elected over rule our demands as Zanu PF,” queried Mhaka in the audio.
Rutenga growth point’s ward 18, the only ward in Mwenezi district which for the first time was won by then Nelson Chamisa led opposition party MDC-Alliance during the 2018 harmonised elections has become one of the key battlegrounds for political parties as they seek to win the hearts of the electorate ahead of next year’s harmonised elections.
