A Zanu PF official from Chiredzi has reportedly warned opposition MDC Alliance supporters in the area that they will not benefit from the subsidised mealie-meal distribution program unless their party ‘withdraws the legitimacy crisis issue’, Zwnews has established.
Since controversially losing to Zimbabwe strongman Emmerson Mnangagwa in a disputed presidential contest in the 2018 harmonised elections, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has defiantly refused to recognise the septuagenarian as the legitimate president of the southern African nation.
In a letter addressed to the District Development Coordinator for Chiredzi, MDC Councillor for Ward 3, an R Makumire said the distribution of the subsidised mealie-meal was being politicised as the ruling party chairperson in the area has been blocking opposition supporters from accessing the mealie-meal, saying he was being guided by instructions from higher offices.
Makumire also bemoaned the fact that Zanu PF had majority representation in the ward mealie-meal taskforce committee.
“My supposition was that the relocation of subsidised mealie-meal from local retailers to our wards was an initiative to curb the spreading of Covid-19 but to Ward 3, it has become more of an election campaign tool because the whole program is now being politicised,” Cllr Makumire said.
He said the conditions set for fair distribution of the subsidised mealie-meal were that, “the main opposition (MDC-A) must withdraw the legitimacy crisis issue; (Zanu PF) must have majority of membership in the ward mealie-meal taskforce committee; the ruling party must get 65% allocation of the total bags allocated for the whole ward and that 35% must be shared by the rest of the ward”.
During the epoch of the late long-ruling Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe, Zanu PF was accused of politicising food aid to get electoral support in national polls.
Zwnews
