The Sunday News
Nyasha Majoni in Kwekwe
KWEKWE Central Member of the National Assembly Cde Masango Matambanadzo has written to the police expressing disgruntlement over the way a local businessman and cleric Mr Kandros Chikugwe Mugabe is distributing grain and financing small-scale projects in the city.
Cde Matambanadzo wants the police to ban the meetings arguing that they were being held under the banner of Zanu-PF when the businessman was allegedly suspended from the party five years ago. In the letter dated 29 May addressed to the police in Kwekwe, Cde Matambanadzo said he was surprised why police were giving a go-ahead for Mr Chikugwe Mugabe to conduct the “illegal” meetings.
“Kandros Chikugwe has done more than seven meetings in Kwekwe Central constituency and all these meetings are booked with your offices. But what I know is that Kandros Chikugwe is serving a five-year suspension from Zanu-PF.
The party office and leadership is not aware of these meetings. Dispol we are very surprised with your offices that you allow these meetings to take place. If your office allow him again I will be left with no option except to take the matter up,” wrote Cde Matambanadzo in a letter that was also copied to Zanu-PF Kwekwe district offices.
Contacted for comment, Mr Chikugwe Mugabe however, dismissed the legislator’s call to ban the meetings arguing that Cde Matambanadzo had other sinister motives against him. He also said that his suspension was lifted last year, adding that he was distributing grain and providing financial handouts in a bid to prepare ground for a resounding Zanu-PF victory in next year’s general elections.
Said Mr Chikugwe Mugabe: “I received a letter from the National Commissar on 10 August 2016. I was reinstated as the suspension was unprocedural, the allegations were also false. Maybe he thinks that I am donating grain and financing projects in a bid to get electoral support in next year’s elections but that is very wrong because I will only contest if the party gives me the greenlight to contest.”
He said it was wrong that assisting people can be misconstrued as a campaign strategy.
“If I start giving people money at this stage, would you really think that by the time elections come I would still be having that money? What I am doing right now is preparing ground for anyone who will be contesting on a Zanu-PF ticket next year because the people want their bread and butter issues addressed,” he said.
Midlands Zanu-PF provincial spokesperson Cde Cornelius Mupereri confirmed receiving the letter of complaint from Cde Matambanadzo and said the concerns will be looked into.
“Yes, we have seen the letter from the MP and we are definitely going to look into this matter,” Cde Mupereri said.
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