The President of the Elected Councillors Association of Zimbabwe, Warship Dumba, told The Zimbabwean this week that as part of its strategy to regain control of the urban councils, Zanu (PF) was sabotaging development projects in MDC-T dominated councils in a bid to discredit the party in the eyes of the electorate.
ECAZ was formed in 2011 by MDC-T rural and urban councillors to defend their rights following what they claimed was an upsurge in cases of victimisation by Local Government Minister, Ignatius Chombo.
“For example in Bindura, several millions that were meant for development projects could not be accounted for and all this is meant to give a wrong picture that MDC-T councillors are failing to perform. In Umguza, about $1,6 million went up in smoke with the local authority having no knowledge as to how the money was used. At the end of the day, the blame will be put on MDC-T councillors yet all these are sabotage plans by Zanu (PF),” said Dumba.
“We have one case in Marondera where a volunteer who wanted to help the local authority to repair roads was blocked by Zanu (PF) youths who threatened him with unspecified action if he went ahead. The volunteer was threatened and the project has since been stopped,” he added.
Zanu (PF) had even set up bogus residents associations in areas such as Mbare to hoodwink the electorate, saying: “In some areas, Zanu (PF) is working in cahoots with some residents associations to tarnish the MDC-T councillors – but these schemes will not succeed. The people know the truth of the matter.”
Post published in: News