Traditional leaders are Zanu PF coercition tools

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A LOCAL human rights watchdog has castigated traditional leaders for meddling in politics and being used to further political hegemony of the ruling Zanu PF.

This came out in the latest Zimbabwe Peace Project monitoring report, which castigated traditional leaders, after some of them declared their allegiance to the ruling party Zanu PF.

The ZPP called upon law enforcers to be impartial and senior government authorities to stop using village heads and chiefs as an accessory of force against the citizens.

“The road to credible election starts with the creation of a violence-free environment, application of the law without fear or favour, and the end to the use of aid and traditional leaders as tools for coercion,” the report reads.

However, Chief Murinye from Masvingo seems to be breaking ranks after he came out guns blazing during a funeral service Tuesday where he told government officials corruption by people surrounding President Emmerson Mnangagwa was seriously affecting the lives of the ordinary.

“We are fed up; we don’t want this anymore. Thieves in Zimbabwe must stop! ED is my nephew, if he doesn’t listen to my word, he won’t go past 2023. We don’t want looters, who take everything while people wallow in poverty,” Chief Musara said.

Zimbabwe is set to hold its presidential elections in 2023.

Meanwhile, a Gutu Zanu PF councillor has reportedly threatened MDC Alliance supporters who attended the funeral of Nyasha Zhambe, would not receive food aid.

Zhambe died a few days after he was attacked by rowdy Zanu PF supporters who stormed a gathering where MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa was supposed to address party supporters.

However, Mathias Rashai who is the Ward 24 councillor allegedly convened a meeting at Mawungwa Business Centre where he said he would not allow Zhambe’s sympathisers to benefit from any food aid programmes.

Zhambe died on November 24 after being transferred from Gutu Hospital to Harare where he was seeking medical attention.

However, police have not arrested the identified Zanu PF suspects.

—NewZimbabwe