VILLAGERS in Tshelanyemba in Matabeleland South have accused Zanu PF officials of falsely claiming to have contributed towards construction of an $18 000 registry office built by the community at Matobo business centre.
STAFF REPORTERS
The registry office was officially opened last Saturday by Senior Minister of State in the President’s Office Simon Khaya Moyo with top Zanu PF officials in the area claiming a hand in the project.
But the villagers and members of the Salvation Army, Guta RaMwari, Zion and Seventh Day Adventist churches said they contributed towards the building of the registry to ease the burden of travelling to Maphisa for identity documents.
A villager, Lovemore Ncube, said Zanu PF supporters came with Matobo South MP Soul Ncube singing party songs and handed over the registry to Khaya Moyo, claiming to have been the brains behind its construction.
“We gave the local MP our programme so that he could have a look, but he took it and changed everything to suit his interests.
“We were surprised to hear Khaya Moyo thanking Zanu PF people for having built the office,” Ncube said.
“As villagers, we are disturbed with this development because the MP is aware that the office was built by us as villagers. We had plans to even build some houses for the registry officials, but with what these people did, it is going to be difficult for us.”
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Another villager Mavis Maphosa said: “The minister is giving us footballs instead of building material. What are we going to do with the balls after hijacking our project and passing it as their own?”
This is not the first time Zanu PF officials have been caught offside, claiming credit where they have not contributed.
Last Thursday, the party’s deputy director for information and publicity Psychology Maziwisa stunned delegates at a public discussion forum in Harare when he claimed that his party should be credited for the successful separation of Siamese twins at Harare Central Hospital.
Tshelanyemba villagers told our sister paper Southern Eye that they first mooted the idea of building a registry office in 2006 and its completion was delayed by shortage of funds as they could not secure donor or government assistance.
Secretary of the villagers’ committee responsible for fundraising Manford Ncube said the community was now facing challenges of providing water and accommodation for the registry staff.
