According to
reports, the agenda of the meeting included review of the provincial
development plan and summary presentations of Zanu PF resolutions, sparking
controversy among Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) members in Kariba.
The
accusations, first leaked in a provincial CCC WhatsApp group, which Maoneyi was
a member before being removed by one of the administrators.
Some CCC
members in Kariba felt betrayed by Maoneyi’s attendance, while the mayor
himself did not refute the accusations.
He only said
internal issues should be discussed internally.
“So I won't say
anything further about this,” he said.
However,
defending Maoneyi, one CCC member, who preferred to remain anonymous due to
fear of victimisation, accused the CCC Kariba district chairperson and ward 6
councillor, George Masendu, of confusion.
“PDC is a
channel used to bring provincial development through and he is the chairman.
But they are saying he should not attend, saying it is a Zanu PF board.
“The government
is Zanu PF-led; what’s the difference? Devolution comes from a Zanu PF-led
government. The district chair, Masendu, is behind the mayor’s intimidation. He
wants him expelled and get into his place and collect the car the mayor is
entitled to," the CCC member said.
CCC Kariba
constituency co-ordinator Simbarashe Sam Mutinha acknowledged that members were
unhappy after learning that the mayor attended a meeting identified as a Zanu
PF event due to its agenda items.
“When people
mess up, they try to blame others. Why is this now? Before the mayor attended
this Zanu PF meeting, there was no such report,” he said.
Mutinha said
most PDC meetings were genuinely government meetings without Zanu PF
presentations.
He described
the situation as “purely drama where ratepayers’ money is being wasted on false
government programmes which have a party agenda.”
Asked about his
ambitions for the mayoral post, Masendu denied any intention to reclaim the
position.
“I have no
aspirations to become the mayor. Having held the position before, I focused on
bringing development to Kariba to the best of my abilities. Now, as council
finance chairperson, I am content with my role. Rumours are just drama to me,”
he said.
“Those directly
involved can comment on it. Social media can spread true or false information
and I am not sure where this is coming from. We are currently awaiting the new
leadership under advocate president Nelson Chamisa. If there are any plans, I
am not privy to them, but for now, we are waiting.”
Leaked messages
in the CCC WhatsApp group further fuelled tensions. One message read,
"Leave him, he is Zanu PF. He left the party, CCC, long back. Even in his
ward, they no longer know him and this means we now have a Zanu PF mayor, not a
CCC one."
Another member
responded, "A person is still innocent, champion, until proven guilty. So
let us give the mayor time to respond before jumping to any conclusions."
After Maoneyi
responded in the group, some members continued posting messages, reflecting the
deep divisions and uncertainty within the party. Newsday
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