The Sunday News
Dumisani Sibanda Sunday News Reporter
ZANU-PF party bigwigs in Insiza, Matabeleland South have alleged Insiza Rural District Council chairperson Councillor Daniel Mpofu has been abusing his position to destroy the ruling party and want him fired, it has been learnt. The call was made at a meeting that was held on 15 April by 18 members of the Zanu-PF Provincial Coordinating Committee who are from Insiza during which they resolved that Clr Mpofu “has been found not suitable for council chairmanship, Councillor for ward 12 and Zanu-PF Godlwayo District secretary for Information and Publicity.”
According to the minutes of the meeting which was chaired by Central Committee member Cde Patrick Hove and attended by the Insiza North Member of Parliament, Cde Andrew Langa among others, it was felt that Clr Mpofu was “destabilising” the party in the district.
“(The meeting found) that the council chairperson, Mr Daniel K Mpofu is causing some political threats and weaknesses to Zanu-PF that might cause the party to lose the 2018 elections in Insiza if he is left to continue with what he was doing against the party,” read the minutes.
In the minutes, it is recorded that Cde Spare Sithole, said he attended two meetings addressed by Clr Mpofu and discovered that he allegedly “had another agenda that was not progressive.”
“Concurring, Cde Vumani Moyo, said the gang led by (Clr) Daniel K Mpofu was like a South African gang known as the ‘Guptar family’ that could be seen fuelling vehicles for destabilising the party in Ward 22,” reads the minutes.
It was also pointed out during the meeting that a picture had been painted that people in Ward 22 were not happy with Chief Jahana’s conduct hence the “peace order” on him when in fact the measure was meant for Clr Mpofu to “stop going (sic) with the Chief”.
“The problem was Daniel Mpofu was mixing issues on the pretext that he is defending the Chief whereas in the actual fact he was pushing an MDC agenda,” read the minutes.
It was also alleged that during a full Insiza Rural District Council meeting held last month Clr Mpofu warned councillors not to “entertain politicians and those people wearing party regalia in their ward meetings otherwise they will be charged.”
Clr Mpofu was also accused of trying to reverse the land reform programme in the district. Concerns were also raised that Insiza South Member of Parliament, Cde Malachi Nkomo, was being prevented from occupying Atherstone Farm, a “designated farm”. Clr Mpofu was also accused of preventing 24 plot-holders at Swinge Irrigation in his ward from farming. During the meeting it was also alleged that Clr Mpofu was misusing council vehicles.
However, contacted for comment, Clr Mpofu, scoffed at the allegations.
“I am a son of the party and cannot work against it. As council chairperson, I implement directives of the line ministries, on land issues, I am a member of the District Land Committee but I am not the chairperson and there is also a ministry which deals with land issues, that is Cde (Douglas) Mombeshora’s ministry. If they feel there is something wrong with the way the council is being run there is also the appropriate minister, Cde (Abedinico) Ncube.”
Clr Mpofu said he only reminded councillors not to politicise food distribution in line with President Mugabe’s appeal.
“As for party issues, the provincial chairperson can comment and in any case if my comrades have misgivings with the way I do things, they can approach me as my door is always open, not to go to the Press,” he said.
