Gweru Urban MP Rodrick Rutsvara (MDC-T) has dismissed claims that he failed to account for the $50 000 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation for his constituency.
Addressing journalists at a Press Club function in the Midlands capital city over the weekend, Rutsvara accused political detractors of concocting the charges to dent his image ahead of the impending general elections.
Rutsvara said he had spent over $270 000 on different community projects in the constituency’s seven wards, adding he had documented proof of how he disbursed the money. “The community halls upon completion would cost a total of $273 000. This falls far short of the $50 000 allocated as CDF,” Rutsvara said.
“Off head I can’t give the exact amounts on the various projects I undertook in the seven wards in my constituency. But I can assure you the money was used wisely and no abuse took place.”
Rutsvara said he had also funded construction of Blair toilets at Riverside Primary School, purchased desks for various schools, paid electricity bills at an old people’s home and bought a generator for an isolation hospital in Ascot suburb.
Early this year, four MPs were arrested over allegations of abusing CDF allocations, but were later freed after Attorney-General Johannes Tomana ordered an audit of all the 210 constituencies.
Rutsvara also scoffed at reports that he had not uttered a word since his election to Parliament in 2008, saying he had contributed at various portfolio committees meetings.
Meanwhile, Mkoba MP Amos Chibaya (MDC-T) has denied that he was leading a faction competing with another led by Local Government deputy minister Sesel Zvidzai for the Gweru Urban seat.
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“”Just because you imagine things does not mean it is true. If Zvidzai comes to the province in his capacity either as Deputy Local Government minister or as our party secretary for local government to iron out some anomalies, he is doing his duty and as far as I know it’s not out of selfish interests,” Chibaya said.
