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NewsDay

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MDC-T MP threatens to sue partisan officials

Politics
MUTASA Central MDC-T MP Trevor Saruwaka yesterday threatened to take government officials to court over their alleged partisan distribution of farming inputs under the Presidential well-wishers inputs scheme.

MUTASA Central MDC-T MP Trevor Saruwaka yesterday threatened to take government officials to court over their alleged partisan distribution of farming inputs under the Presidential well-wishers inputs scheme.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Saruwaka told NewsDay that he had resolved to take legal action against top government officials in his constituency after MDC-T supporters complained of being denied the inputs because of their political affiliation.

“We approached the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights over the issue and they are working on it. Partisan distribution of government-sponsored inputs is a violation of economic social rights,” Saruwaka said.

“We want the District Administrator, GMB (Grain Marketing Board) officials, Arex (Agricultural Research and Extension Services) officers and Zanu PF chefs in Mutasa to be brought to book over their conduct. Some of these people are government employees and they should respect a government circular which clearly states that the inputs should not be distributed along political lines.”

He added: “This is not the last programme. Soon there will be food distribution and if this goes unchallenged then the pattern will continue and rightful beneficiaries will continue suffering at the expense of such political interference. We want the court to set the record straight and remove confusion on the beneficiaries.”

The Presidential inputs support programme is meant to benefit undercapitalised rural farmers. In Mutasa area, the programme has reportedly been suspended on several occasions after the villagers mostly MDC-T members, staged protests accusing government officials of giving preference to Zanu PF supporters.