It is for that reason that he is seemingly not welcome in
Mt Darwin, his home area where villagers recently took up placards,
demonstrating against his return.
A return some found rather comical, as they asked, how
could a person who could not serve his backyard with approximately 30 000
people aspire to be the president of a country of more than 16 million.
The adage once beaten twice shy now aptly summarises how
the people of Mt Darwin and Mashonaland Central province at large now view the
fugitive former Cabinet Minister, who has a couple of court cases hanging over
his head.
In interviews, the people of Mt Darwin described Mr
Kasukuwere, their former MP as a cunning person who wants to use the tribal
card to shore up his political name.
There is a reason why the villagers are less welcome, Mr
Kasukuwere’s mansion, just a few metres from the road that leads to Karanda
Mission Hospital, seems obscene around the rondavels and modest buildings in
the area.
“He never cared about us when he was an MP, I don’t see him
caring about us if his fantasy of becoming a president comes true,” said a
young man who lives by vending at Mt Darwin Growth Point.
Despite having been Minister of Youth Development,
Indigenisation and Empowerment, youths in his area are jobless, there is no
empowerment that was brought by Mr Kasukuwere.
Last week was a rude awakening for Mr Kasukuwere as people
from his backyard openly denounced him.
The Mashonaland Central provincial youth league chairman,
Cde Emmerson Raradza and his executive picketed in the small town branding Mr
Kasukuwere ‘lord of lies and the master of madness.’
They said despite the vile lies told by the duo of Mr
Kasukuwere and his sidekick in the province Mr Godfrey Tsenengamu that they
have support from the area, people are solely behind Zanu-PF and the
candidature of President Mnangagwa.
“We are against the devices by the opposition to dismantle
the energy of the masses and the efforts of the President of Zimbabwe of
fostering economic development with lies, who is Kasukuwere here? A person with
only six MPs in the whole country,” said Zanu- PF national youth political
commissar Tsungai Makumbe.
Zanu- PF has 18 out of 18 legislators in Mashonaland
Central province cementing its status as the people’s choice.
Herald crew got in touch with Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central
provincial vice chairperson Cde Christopher Magomo who was flanked by all Mt
Darwin aspiring legislators.
“The march against Kasukuwere was done after he made
remarks claiming that he has Mashonaland Central province in his pocket.
Everyone is disowning him here, people are happy with the New Dispensation and
its entire leadership,” he said.
Village head, Mrs Rufaro Jaji of Jaji Village in Ward 24
said the area never benefited anything during the stint of Mr Kasukuwere as
their legislator.
“It was all promises during his tenure without any positive
results. We were promised a mere borehole more than a decade ago, but nothing
has been done up to now.
“In October water woes are common here and we walk long
distances in search of the precious liquid,” she said.
A youth, Mr Tinashe Gatsi of neighbouring Yemurai village
said Mr Kasukuwere never uplifted people from his area.
“When he was appointed Minister, we thought it was our time
to be uplifted but only his family members benefited. Youths from Mt Darwin
South have no jobs and are surviving as artisanal miners,” he said.
Another villager, Mrs Gamuchirai Dzeheke, said their
constituency was one of the most underdeveloped as they lack basics.
Mrs Matipaishe Munoti said Mr Kasukuwere, despite his once
former status failed even to initiate the upgrading of the only secondary
school in the area to have A-level.
“When our children pass O-level we are stuck between a hard
surface and a rock as the school has no A-level.
“They are forced to travel to Mt Darwin town for A-level.
Imagine us poverty-stricken villagers having to fork out
bus fare daily,” she said.
Mr Munashe Mutondo also had no kind words for Mr Kasukuwere
whom he said had nothing to offer as he failed to do so during his time in
Government.
Mr Kasukuwere has two arrest warrants hanging over his head
that were issued way before he expressed his intentions to contest for the
presidency with police keen to question him.
In interviews with the South African media where he is
based, Kasukuwere has been desperately trying to paint a picture of persecution
by the Zimbabwe Government and alleging that he feared arrest on political
grounds once he lands in the country to campaign ahead of the elections.
However, information has it that a warrant of arrest was
issued on January 18, 2019 by retired Harare magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya after
Kasukuwere, a former Cabinet minister and key G40 figure in the late President
Robert Mugabe’s Government, failed to appear for trial on four counts of
criminal abuse of office.
Another was issued after Mr Kasukuwere failed to resubmit
his passport to the Clerk of Court during the agreed period.
The disgraced former Cabinet minister has been making
feeble attempts to play the persecution card as he has been portraying his
charges as politically motivated, but the fact of the matter is that he was
issued with warrants of arrest after he skipped court proceedings and after he
proved untrustworthy. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment