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Zanu PF youths, Dakamela clash over invasion

Politics
Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial chairman Isaac Dakamela and the party’s youth league are on a collision course after he reportedly condemned last week’s invasion of a private property in the city by the restive former ruling party’s youths. Yesterday, the youths accused Dakamela of protecting foreign business interests in return for bribes. However, Dakamela said: […]

Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial chairman Isaac Dakamela and the party’s youth league are on a collision course after he reportedly condemned last week’s invasion of a private property in the city by the restive former ruling party’s youths.

Yesterday, the youths accused Dakamela of protecting foreign business interests in return for bribes.

However, Dakamela said: “But in any case if someone says ufuz’uyihlo (you are like your father) it means the child would have committed mischief hence the insult on me as the father. I would not have been insulted, if at all, if the child had not committed mischief.”

Last Thursday, a group of Zanu PF youths raided a building, believed to belong to an Indian businessman, along 13th Avenue between Robert Mugabe Way and George Silundika Street, claiming it was lying idle.

Dakamela, however, reportedly advised the owner, who runs a school uniform business in the city, to report the youths to police arguing the action was contrary to Zanu PF party policy.

“The way Dakamela handled the whole matter raises eyebrows. He rushed to make comments in the media condemning the invasion of the building without even consulting the youth structures on what was happening,” said a party youth who declined to be named.

“This confirms our fears that Dakamela has been receiving protection fees from members of these Indian communities and that is why he is taking a stance he has taken.”

The youths have vowed to expose Dakamela’s alleged “rot” by “citing the businesspeople from where he is receiving money and rentals”.

“Dakamela is a mere provincial chairman who has no business on matters of indigenisation. He has derailed a number of programmes where his friends are involved and that is frustrating us,” said the party youth.

The youths, who at the time of invasion claimed the building had been lying idle since 2003, said they were jerked into action by Vice-President John Nkomo’s jibe that Matabeleland residents were lazy and wanted to prove they did not suffer from “inertia”.

On Tuesday, Dakamela castigated Zanu PF youths, saying their actions were not a directive from the party.

According to State media reports, one of the youths, Andrew Manjoro, was quoted as saying the Indian businessman allegedly telephoned Dakamela in their presence saying: “You Dakamela f***c , come here now. Dakamela s**** because of me.”

Manjoro and Usher Mandisekwe allegedly led the raid of the building.

Mandisekwe on Thursday refused to comment “ as the issue is in the hands of the elders”.

Party youth chairman Butholezwe Gatsi also refused to comment saying: “I do not discuss such issues in the Press.”