BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
NYANGA North MP Chido Sanyatwe (Zanu PF) has been fingered in a fierce fight over gold mining claims.
The legislator is the wife of Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania Anselem Sanyatwe, former boss in the Presidential Guard.
Sanyatwe is accused of threatening violence against a fellow Zanu PF official, Julius Manyuchi, who is part of the Chisero Mining Syndicate.
In a letter dated March 9, 2021 addressed to Zanu PF Manicaland provincial chairperson Mike Madiro and copied to Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda and the President’s Office in Manicaland, Manyuchi accused Sanyatwe and her colleagues of threatening violence against him and blocking him from accessing his syndicate.
“I was embarrassed and belittled at that rally and several allegations and accusations were levelled against me. I was then ordered to vacate the area and rowdy artisanal miners numbering more than 800 demanded that I do so with immediate effect,” he said referring to a March 6, 2021 meeting addressed by Sanyatwe.
“The Honourable MP (Sanyatwe) then told me to vacate as demanded and he told the people present that if I did not comply, they should simply block my way at Avilla Mission. I now live in fear of being attacked on the way to my investment.”
Manyuchi said he could not vacate the place after investing “several millions of dollars” at Chisero.
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“I am also legally advised that the Honourable MP does not have the power to remove me from the syndicate as I am duly registered at the Ministry of Mines. I am also advised that it is illegal for a Member of Parliament to instigate violence or encourage people to break the law as she did,” he said.
Manyuchi pleaded with the party to act on the matter and allow the law to be followed without the abuse of political power by the MP.
Sanyatwe confirmed seeing the letter yesterday, but accused Manyuchi of abusing over 5 000 artisanal miners in the area.
“He is in conflict with other miners,” she said.
“The other miners came to my office and they are about 5 000 people. They accuse him of fraudulently finding his way into the claims and that he was abusing miners while not following the law. They wanted my intervention as the MP.”
Sanyatwe accused Manyuchi of working against her.
“I was surprised to see him writing to Parliament and others instead of him coming to me. I have to protect my people and the President needs five million votes. All he said were lies,” Sanyatwe said.
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