By James Muonwa, Mashonaland West Correspondent
ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial executive members are underfire after reportedly misappropriating a donated US$2 500 vote-buying war chest.
The party officials are accused of paying for a boat cruise on the iconic Kariba Dam, where they sipped on expensive alcoholic drinks on the very same day polling was ongoing in the just-ended Kariba Ward 5 local authority by-election.
Zanu PF candidate, Kudakwashe Mafusire, went on to lose after managing a paltry 175 votes against Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate, Tonderai Chikwati’s 303 ballots.
The cash to buy opposition voters was reportedly donated by Zanu PF central committee member and flamboyant businessman, Phillip Chiyangwa.
A leaked audio recording of Stembeni Madzima, a Zanu PF provincial youth league member from Zvimba South constituency who was among deployees to Kariba, confirms the party plotted exchanging votes-for-cash.
Ahead of polling, CCC interim provincial spokesperson, Blessing Mandava, raised the red flag Zanu PF had approached opposition members offering between US$5 and US$20 in return for votes.
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Ordinary card-carrying Zanu PF cadres are said to be furious with party provincial officials deployed to help mobilise voters ahead of last weekend’s plebiscite.
The named officials are accused of sabotaging, blocking and looting money donated towards Kariba Ward 5 by elections.
A leaked chat from a Zanu PF group exposes the clique for refusing to handover the money to Zanu PF candidate, Mafusire, who later exposed the shenanigans.
“The cabal did everything to block handover of the money to the candidate as agreed by Zanu PF local leadership together with provincial PC, Cde Yotamu,” read the chats.
“Following day, Cde Munduna, in the company of Cde Goteka, approached Zanu PF candidate and proposed, l quote: “Handle vanhu torega kubuditsa mari then after election tozokupawo something usare uchidya nemhuri” (Handle the people so that we don’t use money in order for us to be able to give you something after the election).”
Mafusire is said to have rejected the proposal, leading to an impasse.
Further reads the chat: “After seeing that they had been exposed, the cabal decided to go for a cruise whilst the election was still in progress and never to return.”
From US$2 000 he was meant to get, Mafusire only received US$450, sources said.
Contacted by NewZimbabwe.com over the unfolding drama, Zanu PF provincial chairman, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said she had set up a taskforce to carry out investigations before she issues a statement.
“The chairman has just learnt about this alleged development via social media. She is putting up a team to investigate and will issue a statement thereafter,” Tendai Mautsi, personal assistant to the chairman, told NewZimbabwe.com Monday.
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