THERE was chaos at Ndlovu Business Centre in Hwange on Tuesday after a Zanu PF official openly barred opposition activists from Chief Mvuthu’s area from receiving government-sourced maize seed.
By Nokuthaba Dlamini
A Southern Eye news crew witnessed the drama, where known and perceived MDC-T supporters were ordered to leave before receiving their allocations. Beauty Moyo, Zanu PF’s women’s league vice-chairperson for Kachechete ward forced all maize seed recipients to chant ruling party slogans before getting their allocations, with known MDC-T officials being told in their faces that they were not welcome at the meeting.
“As long as you know that you are not from Zanu PF, forget about getting handouts. You have your own fathers, go to them and they will give you handouts as well. We are only going to give our supporters and the rest of you can go back,” she shouted.
“You only realise that the President (Robert Mugabe) is your father when there are donations and we are not going to give you anything and I am not going to be apologetic regardless of your political affiliation. I am campaigning and those who follow me will get the seeds.”
A villager, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, said it was unfair to discriminate along political party lines the allocation of government-sourced seed.
“This is wrong. We have been coming here since last Tuesday when Grain Marketing Board (GMB) officials came to deliver these seedlings. They have been distributing to themselves and we don’t think that’s what the President wants. Where is the independence and transparency? Even the names that were being called out were of people who died long ago,” the villager said.
“She (Moyo) has been stealing people’s money. Last year, she ordered us, elderly people to give her $1,50 so that they transport bags of maize to us and nothing came until we took her to police. We know that what she is doing is not a directive from the President’s office.”
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MDC-T youth chairperson in the area, Prince Moyo said they were disappointed by Moyo’s partisanship, adding that every citizen has a right to food regardless of political differences.
Moyo later told Southern Eye she was ready to stand for trial over the alleged partisan distribution of seeds handouts.
“There is nothing that they are going to do to me. I am the one in charge and I will repeat again, I give Zanu-PF supporters the seeds because it belongs to them, maybe if there is some left, I might give the opposition and I am not regretting doing that and if they have a query, let’s meet in the dock.”
GMB officials expressed their disappointed with how the distribution was handled, as this was not the agreed method.
“These handouts were from people whose names were submitted. We brought the exact figure that came from the village heads, and each person was supposed to get 10kg per household. We will see how it unfolds, but at the end of the day, to us, everyone is supposed to benefit regardless of political differences.”
