THERE was drama in Chegutu yesterday when the local MP, Dexter Nduna allegedly brought hired rowdy Zanu PF youths to disrupt the inauguration of a four-kilometre stretch of road resurfaced by council recently.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Zanu PF youths led by Nduna went to the ceremony and set up their own powerful public address (PA) system, which they used to interject proceedings and took the opportunity to accuse councillors and council management of corruption.
Council, which had not brought a PA, was drowned out, amid chants of Zanu PF slogans and denouncing of Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T.
The situation deteriorated with the youths, who appeared drunk, pushing out the mayor and his councillors, who are predominantly from MDC-T.
Nduna then took over the ceremony, telling his supporters that he, through Zanu PF, had resurfaced the road. “This road was not constructed by this MDC-T council; it was fixed by our Zanu PF government though Zinara,” he said.
Nduna told Zanu PF supporters that it was his efforts, as MP, that had seen Zinara release $170 000 to Chegutu for the road works.
He also warned civil servants against supporting the MDC-T, saying if they “slept with the enemy,” they would be fired from work.
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“If you are a civil servant, you have to toe the line, if you don’t, President Robert Mugabe will uproot you through me,” Nduna said.
Mayor, Leo Gwanzura said he was shocked that the MP was fanning violence and disrupting developmental projects in the community.
“This was shocking coming from a legislator, who is supposed to support council works. He should have been happy that councillors and management had not abused their allocation from Zinara and instead put the money to good use,” he said.
Gwanzura said council staff and management had to retreat to save themselves from potential violence.
Chegutu council, which purchased its own road-making machinery and earthmoving equipment, used its Zinara allocation to resurface 4km of road at a cost of $170 000.
Nduna took close to two hours addressing his supporters issuing threats and attacking the five Zanu PF members in council. He ended up officially opening the road amid cheers from his supporters.
Chegutu has seven MDC-T councillors and five from Zanu PF.
