Zanu PF Midlands deputy chairperson and Shurugwi North MP, Robson Nyathi is embroiled in a bribery storm amid allegations that he has been bribing party officials with ZW$120 each to have people aligned to him get influential positions ahead of the forthcoming intraparty District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections, Zwnews has gathered.
Well-placed Zanu PF sources who spoke to this publication allege that Nyathi has been holding unsanctioned meetings with the party’s 2018 election agents where he has been reportedly offering them monetary handouts of ZW$120 (roughly US$1.50) so that they vote for his alleged foot soldiers in Shurugwi district.
It is reported that Nyathi wants to have his preferred party youths voted in Zanu PF Shurugwi DCC and prepare ground for his mainstay in provincial leadership.
“The guy (Nyathi) is a classic example of a corrupt official. He is actually debasing fellow comrades by giving them peanuts as little as $120 bond which can hardly sustain them,” a source privy to the goings-on told Zwnews.
“Nyathi has actually been holding unsanctioned meetings where officials in the district have been receiving paltry handouts so that they ballot in favour of his preferred candidates in the DCC elections. This is actually a portrayal of disrespect to the president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) and the party since election dates haven’t been announced as yet,” said the official who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“It is quite clear that he wants to protect his interests as he wants to maintain his position at provincial level and he intends to be re-elected in the next elections,” another source said.
Whilst he could neither deny nor accept giving out monies, Nyathi said he has been holding meetings in his constituency to concientise people from Shurugwi North on Covid19.
“I have no interests on DCC elections since I am already in the province,” Nyathi said.
“As you might be aware, we are currently faced with the Covid19 scourge and it is in the marginalised communities like the one I represent that need to be educated on the pandemic,” he said.
Zwnews
