In July Midzi was tasked by the party’s Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa, to disband the terror group. This week he told The Zimbabwean that Chipangano was no longer in existence.
“We have dealt with the issue of Chipangano,” said Midzi. “We discussed this at Jomic (Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee) and we issued a report condemning this group,” said Midzi.
Jomic monitors progress and implements agreements made in the 2008 Global Political Agreement that mapped the way towards free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, among them a new constitution and a raft of reforms.
The Jomic report condemning Chipangano was released on 28 May. Midzi has also been accused of bankrolling Chipangano although he has on numerous occasions vehemently denied the allegations.
Other Zanu (PF) officials who have been linked to Chipangano include the party’s Member of Parliament for Harare South, Hubert Nyanhongo as well as politburo member, Tendai Savanhu. Member of Parliament for Mbare, Piniel Denga said there was nothing genuine about Midzi’s claims that Chipangano had been disbanded.
“If they say we have disbanded Chipangano, are they saying they are now accepting the group existed because all along they have been denying its existence? If they are really genuine they should bring to book people like Chipangano leader, Jim Kunaka, who has been going around committing various offences yet no police action has been taken against him. What it shows is that Chipangano is their own organ which they use to suppress the people of Mbare,” said Denga.
A survey in the city centre revealed that some members of the Chipangano youths were still frequenting commuter omnibus ranks where they used to extort cash from kombi crews before they were stopped following an operation by soldiers and the police force.
Said a commuter omnibus driver at Charge Office bus terminus who declined to be named for fear of victimization: “I do not think it’s true that the group has been totally disbanded. Some of them are still coming here claiming they are the owners of the rank and sometimes they extort money from kombi crews who are new to the place.
In July this year, Mutasa opened a can of worms when he declared that Midzi would be lying if he said he did not know Chipangano. Mutasa also blamed the group for the party’s waning support in Harare especially in Mbare due to its violent activities characterized by a high degree of political intolerance.
Simon Khaya Moyo, the Zanu (PF) national chairperson, in late August said he only read about Chipangano in the newspapers but said the party was ready to deal with the youth militia.
Post published in: News