Zanu PF exploits flood hit Tsholotsho as opposition is silent

Zanu PF top leadership has moved swiftly to take advantage of the devastating floods in Tsholotsho by dispatching Air Force helicopters  to airlift villagers in the process boosting its profile.

Tsholotsho legislator and Higher Education minister  Jonathan Moyo and Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere have been active on social media giving updates on the situation.

 The pair has been posting pictures of the floods hit areas on their twitter accounts.

"The Mat North & Tsholotsho Civic Protection Units in coordination with the National CPU are currently seized with the emergency situation in Ward 6 in Tsholotsho to provide the needful to affected households," posted Moyo.

 However, in 2014 during floods season, Moyo who was then  Media, Information and Broadcasting Services minister told the media that  it was  not his prerogative to immediately respond to the floods that hit his  then former constituency Tsholotsho despite it being his home village.

That  was during  a time when he was still smarting from an election defeat from MDC-T's Roseline Nkomo in 2013.

"How can they want me to do something for them when I am not their Member of Parliament?" Moyo asked.

"The people did not even vote for me. I am not a visitor in Tsholotsho because it is my hometown but I have got a national duty.

"The people should therefore hold into account the person that they voted for not me" he is quoted saying then.

 However, this time around Moyo, a member of parliament for the area has fully taken advantage of the opposition silence on the floods to portray himself as being concerned about the villagers.

By 6pm this evening, Bulawayo24.com had not seen statements from opposition political parties  on the floods save for Tendai Biti led People's Democratic Party (PDP)

PDP issued a statement Monday evening, almost three days after the floods hit Tsholotsho saying it notes with great concern the lack of preparedness on the part of the Zanu PF government in dealing with the floods resulting in scores of people drowning while livestock and property have also been lost.

It added that government  was "misleading the nation to painting a picture to the effect that everything is under control but the truth is that the government has no emergency rescue strategy in place leaving the lives of millions of people at a risk".

Bulawayo24.com gleaned social media pages of several vocal politicians and activists only to encounter election related posts.