COUNCILLOR FOUND WITH SIX TONNES OF DONATED MAIZE

Six tonnes of maize were removed from Gutu Central Ward 9 Councillor George Dzinotizeyi’s shop at Zvavahera Business Centre three weeks ago amid allegations of looting of Social Welfare food aid that has seen members of the opposition being refused their allocations.

Taurai Mawere, a youth in the area told The Mirror that opposition supporters are being refused food aid by the councillor even when their names are on this list of allocation.

A Mirror crew was present to film the removal of the maize on February 12, 2025, after getting a tip-off. It is understood that the maize was removed from the shop a few days after Zanu PF MP for Gutu Central, Winston Chitando went to the shop to investigate.

Dzinotizeyi refused to comment, insisting that The Mirror should come and talk to him from his office. Asked where the office is, he conceded that he had no office, but reporters should call him when they get into the ward.

The lorry driver told The Mirror that the grain belonged to Dzinotizeyi but drove off, to evade the reporters after he was warned that he was talking to journalists. He avoided the main road and sped through a longer route to Mpandawana with The Mirror crew pursuing.

At Mpandawana the lorry stopped in the yard of Tinashe Muranda, whose claimed to be the owner of the maize. She claimed that she hired the councillor to sell the maize for her. She said that she bought the maize from Tom Zenith Innovations (T/A TMAC) which in turn bought 34 tonnes from Farmwise Grains of South Africa.

Asked whether she didn’t realise that the councillor had a conflict of interest as he was responsible for the distribution of public welfare grain to his ward, the woman said it did not occur to her. She then referred questions to her husband Tinashe Muranda.

Muranda told The Mirror that he is selling the maize on behalf of a friend. He said they took the maize back from Dzinotizeyi’s shop after their stock ran out. He said Dzinotizeyi had not sold a single bag.

The Mirror also noted that apart from the maize grain, Dzinotizeyi’s shop was also stocked with a few bags of fertilizer, beans and wheat. Government has also been distributing the same commodities to villagers.

There has been a public outcry against massive looting of social welfare aid intended for villagers. A number of Zanu PF officials from Bhasera were arrested for the same crime. Masvingo Mirror

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