Muzarabani District, 200 km to the west of Harare, in Mashonaland Central province, is one of the areas that has remained loyal to Zanu (PF).
Despite constitutional provisions that bar traditional leaders from aligning with any political formation, the situation in Muzarabani tells a different story. One village head who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that traditional leaders were being forced to attend Zanu (PF) meetings where they were trained on how to counteract the MDC in the area.
“We are forced to attend Zanu (PF) meetings. The Zanu (PF) Mashonaland Provincial Chairperson, Dickson Mafios, and MP for Muzarabani East, Edward Raradza, addressed us and instructed all traditional leaders not to tolerate MDC supporters in Muzarabani,” he said.
The village head added that traditional leaders were also under strict instructions to monitor the activities of NGOs in their respective areas.
“We are supposed to inform the District Administrator and the Zanu (PF) leadership of any planned NGO activities before granting them access to villagers,” he said. “The biggest challenge is that if you refuse to take orders, you will know that you are finished because they will remove you from the throne.”
Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe, a development organisation working with Muzarabani communities, testified that NGOs were facing difficulties in accessing the rural population due to stringent protocol demands by Zanu (PF) committees.
Since 2008, more than five traditional leaders in Mashonaland Central have been dethroned and replaced by Zanu (PF) members.
Dzonya village, which has more than 200 households, was divided into three sub-villages to neutralize the reigning village head, Saratiere Dzonya, who was perceived to be an MDC supporter. Lloyd Ururu and Jeremiah Chidhuri, appointed to head the two added villages, are known Zanu (PF) supporters.
Maungaunga village in Ward 2 of Muzarabani under Headman Gesham Makandiwa was also divided, with two Zanu (PF) apologists, Gift Bako and another one known as Viriri, both war veterans.
In Maungaunga village, it was claimed, Svetsi Chonga and Musafari Mugariri replaced Gombera while in another village, Nhete was replaced by Vareta and Titus Mukucha. All the replacements are known Zanu (PF) members.
Freddy Matonhodze, a Muzarabani villager, bemoaned the manipulation of traditional leaders by Zanu (PF).
After failing to receive food aid, Matonhodze approached his village head, George Bumhira, for an explanation.
“Bumhira openly told me he was working under strict instructions not to include names of MDC supporters on the food aid list,” Matonhodze said.
A traditional leader, who refused to be named, said chief Kasekete addressed village heads in 2011, instructing them not to tolerate MDC supporters in Muzarabani. “Chief Kasekete addressed us saying we have a duty to protect the country against a possible recolonisation by the British and Americans through the MDC,” he said.
Chief Kasekete, who is regularly seen in the company of Zanu (PF) Member of Parliament for Muzarabani East, Edward Raradza, reportedly instructed traditional leaders not to give MDC supporters food aid as it was said to have come from President Robert Mugabe, the party leader.
Zanu (PF) spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo however dismissed the claim his party was harassing traditional leaders in the province.
“We are a very principled party that respects traditional leaders and we do not interfere in their operations. We are the ones who protect them, unlike other parties such as the MDC who have no respect for traditional leaders,” Gumbo said.
Post published in: News