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Saungweme clashes with Mutare council

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ZANU PF Mutare Central aspiring candidate Nancy Saungweme has put herself on a collision course with the local authority after she resisted plans to evict street vendors, saying the move would cost her votes in the upcoming general elections.

ZANU PF Mutare Central aspiring candidate Nancy Saungweme has put herself on a collision course with the local authority after she resisted plans to evict street vendors, saying the move would cost her votes in the upcoming general elections.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

Addressing a Zanu PF provincial co-ordinating committee meeting on Friday, Saungweme said the planned blitz was part of a strategy by the MDC-T-led council to decampaign her.

“There is issue of vendors, last week their wares were taken by Mutare City Council and I was forced to approach town clerk Joshua Maligwa so that they can return the vendors’ wares,’’ she said.

‘“The timing of taking vendors’ wares is just a strategy by the MDC-T-led council for me and others in urban constituencies to lose elections and this is why we are fighting to have Zanu PF councillors in council. I am worried because vendors have a tendency of blaming Zanu PF and not the council.’’

Saungweme added that they needed to rebrand as a party and woo supporters from the opposition parties to vote for them.

‘“We need to rebrand ourselves as people will see us as an advanced party. The issue of unity is very crucial to our party, we need to be united going into elections,’’ she said.

‘’There is lack of development in Mutare Central, there are issues of water and youth are jobless, we need to create jobs for our youth.’’

But, Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamarare vowed to go ahead with the blitz which he described as an ongoing exercise to bring sanity to the city.

He denied claims that the operation was politically motivated.

“There is no politics. I think this operation has been going on since Operation Restore Legacy. It’s a joint operation by the Zimbabwe National Army, police and Mutare City Council. The move is just to bring sanity to the city.”