Kariba mayor under fire for attending Zanu-PF meeting

Published: 3 hours ago

Kariba mayor Ralph Nyasha Maoneyi finds himself at the centre of controversy after reportedly attending a Provincial Development Committee (PDC) meeting in Chinhoyi that included Zanu-PF leadership, government departments, and mayors from Mashonaland West province.

The meeting's agenda, which reportedly involved reviewing the provincial development plan and presenting summaries of Zanu-PF resolutions, sparked anger among members of the opposition Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) in Kariba.

Leaked messages from a provincial CCC WhatsApp group - of which Maoneyi was a member before being removed - revealed feelings of betrayal and suspicion about the mayor's political allegiance.

Maoneyi, however, declined to directly address the allegations, stating, "So I won't say anything further about this," and insisting that internal party matters should be discussed internally.

Defending the mayor, a CCC member who wished to remain anonymous accused CCC Kariba district chairperson and Ward 6 councillor George Masendu of causing confusion.

"PDC is a government channel used to drive provincial development and Maoneyi is the chairman. They say he should not attend because it's a Zanu-PF board, but the government is Zanu-PF-led anyway. The district chair Masendu is behind the intimidation; he wants to expel the mayor and take his car," the member said.

CCC Kariba constituency coordinator Simbarashe Sam Mutinha acknowledged dissatisfaction among members but dismissed the controversy as political theatre.

"Most PDC meetings are government meetings without party presentations. This drama wastes ratepayers' money on false programmes with party agendas," Mutinha said.

When asked about his ambitions for the mayoral post, Masendu denied any plans to reclaim the position, emphasizing his contentment as council finance chairperson.

"Rumours are just drama. We await the new leadership under Advocate President Nelson Chamisa. If there are any plans, I'm not aware of them," he said.

Leaked WhatsApp messages further exposed divisions within the CCC ranks. One member claimed, "He left the party long back; even his ward doesn't know him. This means we now have a Zanu-PF mayor, not a CCC one." Another urged caution: "A person is innocent until proven guilty; let's give the mayor time to respond."

Despite Maoneyi's limited response, the discussions reflect deep uncertainty and factionalism within the party at the grassroots level.
- Newsday

Tags: Zanu-PF,