Dr Mpofu was speaking during a meeting in Nyamandlovu
organised by war veterans. Addressing the meeting, which was attended by senior
Zanu-PF officials in the province, war veterans and villagers, Dr Mpofu said he
was dismayed at the fact that rustlers in Nyamandlovu seemed to be getting a
free ride because they were allegedly working with some corrupt police
officers.
He said he had raised the issue with the Police
Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga.
“What is happening in Nyamandlovu right now is a disgrace.
Cattle rustlers are now doing as they please. These thieves are well known and
if you retrace their footsteps, you will see that they lead to our police
station. I have spoken to Commissioner-General Matanga about this issue. I told
him Nyamandlovu is now infested with cattle thieves and it would be wise if
officers that have stayed here for a long time are moved elsewhere. That’s an
issue that is yet to be addressed,” he said.
Dr Mpofu said instead of getting better, the issue seemed
to be worsening as more villagers lost their livestock.
“Right now, the theft of livestock is getting worse. I was
talking to one villager, Nyathi, and he told me that he had just lost four
beasts. Near my own place in Ward 4, we lost five cattle. That is unacceptable
given the fact that there are law enforcement officers in this area,” he said.
Dr Mpofu also hit out at the political leadership in the
area, saying the party’s leadership ranks have now been infiltrated by former
opposition party officials.
“Opposition members are now councillors, when in the past
we used to lead here. These opposition councillors that won positions here were
put by people from within our own party. These people are now selling land here
and if you look at them properly, these are thieves that used to be in the MDC.
This is why the President has said we should put an end to all of this and that
is why I am here today. People who bought land are not criminals and they
should not be the ones arrested. Those that are selling it to them are the ones
that should be apprehended by the police,” he said.
Dr Mpofu hit out at ruling party officials from the
province who had been in a celebratory mood since last year’s harmonised
elections, as he said the party’s performance in Matabeleland North fell
beneath its lofty standards from the past. He also castigated leaders who he
said had low regard for the country’s war veterans.
“In Umguza there are elected officials who are going around
insulting war veterans. That is a state of affairs that the President will not
allow. Umguza is known as a peaceful place that is full of peaceful people but
we are now losing that because of the confusion brought about by incompetent
leaders and thieves,” he said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, Dr Mpofu
said President Mnangagwa had already initiated food relief measures
countrywide, given the current dry spell.
“Our President is a President of the people and he is also
a listening President. The current dry spell is something that concerns him
greatly and he told me to tell the people of Matabeleland North that he will
not allow them to starve. There are many plans that have been put in place to
help people and ensure that they are well fed during this drought. There is as
much as $44 billion that has been set aside to buy food for the people and that
food is already being delivered as we speak. Our message now is that this food
should be distributed to everyone fairly and with that in mind, we advise those
that are trying to get up to mischief using food relief to behave themselves
because we are watching,” he said. Sunday News
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