ZANU PF, with the collusion of the Rural Development ministry, is allegedly forcing civil servants in Guruve to fund the staging of President Robert Mugabe’s eighth youth interface rally to be held in Bindura tomorrow.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
In a letter delivered to the Education ministry, through the Guruve district education inspector on Tuesday, Rural Development minister Abednego Ncube through the district administrator (DA) identified as R Shangwe said civil servants would be required to contribute $1 each towards the rally.
“The office of the DA together with the Zanu PF youth league is appealing for your contributions towards the Presidential youth interface rally on September 9. The committee agreed that every civil servant should contribute $1 towards the memorable event,” part of the letter read.
Teachers, who spoke on condition they would not be named, said they had been forced to pay money through their headmasters who were taking registers.
“Headmasters are compiling registers of their staff and handing them to Zanu PF youths and given the history of victimisation we have been left with no choice, but to donate and also attend the rally,” a teacher said.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe described this as extortion.
“A committee with no civil servants agreed on a decision binding civil servants. Why? This is extortion,” he said.
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Ncube yesterday denied the allegations saying Zanu PF does not use coercion.
“That is a misrepresentation. When we seek for donations we ask those who can and those who can’t or don’t want are not forced. Our party does not force anyone, so those are lies that people are being forced to tell,” he said.
Zanu PF has often been accused of forcing civil servants and companies to fund its extravagance from hosting rallies, Mugabe’s birthday celebrations to party conferences and congresses.
