 This comes after similar incidents were reported  in Harare last week where supporters  of the ruling party in the capital were forcing commuter omnibus operators to display the 84 year old geriatric leader’s portraits  in their omnibuses.
 Mberengwa is known to be a no go area for  most opposition parties since Independence as it always records highest number of Zanu PF voters in every election in the country after Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe in Mashonaland East Province.
 When The Zimbabwean visited Mberengwa the district this Sunday it witnessed that most shops and schools  were displaying Mugabe’s portraits. All shops at Murongwe ,Mwembe, Maranda and Chabwira Business Centres under Chief John Bhera Mataruse were displaying  the out going president’s posters without any sign of  opposition parties posters. Schools which were displaying  Mugabe portraits  at their gates include Zvamatobwe, Murongwe, Chabwira, Vutsanana Secondary Schools and Mwembe, Ruuraugwi, Mapunya and Chomunyaka Primary Schools.
 Shoponwers who spoke to The Zimbabwean at Murongwe business centre said  all shop operators  in the district were being forced  by Zanu PF youths to display  the portraits and there being threatened   that if   they don’t  do this Zanu PF will take over  their shops or force  them to close.
 All shop operators  here are being forced  by Zanu PF youths to display  the president’s portrait and we are being threatened  that if  we don’t  do this Zanu PF will take over  our shops or force  us to close. So we don’t have any option but to do what  they want said the shop owner who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general Raymond Majongwe when contacted blasted Zanu PF for forcing schools in Mberengwa as it is traumatizing  to teachers at those schools
Post published in: News