Kasukuwere threatens Zanu-PF MP

Environment minister Savior Kasukuwere has been mired in a nasty altercation with Gokwe-Nembudziya Member of Parliament (MP) Justice Wadyajena over the latter's parliamentary work, which has exposed the boisterous minister's controversial tenure un the Indigenisation department.

This also comes as the Mount Darwin South legislator has been embroiled in another spat with Tourism minister Walter Mzembi for resisting moves to parcel out Lowveld conservancies to landless blacks.

In a letter addressed to parliamentary speaker Jacob Mudenda in early April, Wadyajena said he was threatened by Kasukuwere in front of assembly colleagues for merely seeking to understand Zimbabwe's economic empowerment programme, in line with his oversight role.

"As I was entering Parliament… (on) 26 March 2014, I met Minister Kasukuwere by the door… I greeted him politely in deference to his seniority as a member of the politburo and the executive," the youthful chair of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment committee said, adding "instead of responding" the former "started shouting, chiding and lampooning me".

"Throughout all this, he alleged that my portfolio committee was useless, I was attacking members of his family, especially his young brother (Tongai) and on a witch-hunt against him," Wadyajena said, adding further that the businessman-cum-politician had accused him of being used by Enock Porusingazi.

Mudenda has confirmed receiving the letter - also copied to Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF chief whip Joram Gumbo - and said he was working on the legalities of the complaint.

"I received it and we are processing the complaint, and looking at its legalities," he told the Daily News this week.

Specifically, Kasukuwere was miffed by the Midlands legislator's oversight role and interrogation of the youth development fund - once administered by the top Zanu PF man's former office, and some banks - as well as circumstances around the controversial funding of community share ownership trusts in Chiadzwa.

Wadyajena's committee also inadvertently exposed the dubious or shoddy nature of the Environment minister's agreements with various diamond miners.

Even, though, Kasukuwere and his supporters have come out strongly to say the "deals" were watertight, and legitmate, the Marange companies - led by Mbada and Anjin Investments - have disputed claims that there was an undertaking to contribute $10 million each.

To add salt to injury, the Mount Darwin South legislator's Cabinet colleague and Indigenisation ministry successor Francis Nhema has told Parliament that there "were only gentlemen's agreements" between the minister, and the gem miners.

And in light of this bruising encounter, and experience, Kasukuwere has come out "guns blazing" against Wadyajena and anyone seemingly out to destroy his legacy.

As it is, the Harare businessman has borne the brunt of the ex-intelligence officer and pugnacious politician's brickbats - to a point that he was told he was a small boy and would not rise politically.

"…he alleged that he knew what to do to fix me, thereby ensuring that I was politically and economically dead, (and) he was going to come out guns blazing to destroy me in broad daylight," Wadyajena said in the letter, adding he had been ordered to "leave the oversight I am doing on banks, the Marange diamond mines" and they would de-campaign him for the posts of Youth Affairs deputy secretary as well as politburo.

While Kasukuwere's alleged claims that "youths should not be forced to repay the loans when others who benefited under various government initiatives had not done so" smacks of a culture of impunity, this flies in the face of President Robert Mugabe's calls for people to honour their debts.

This also comes amid fears that several Zanu PF bigwigs had dipped their fingers in the YDF coffers and the youth empowerment committee chairman is adamant he would not be intimidated.

"…I believe that… I am answerable to Parliament and not to anyone else, including ministers. I, therefore, take great exception to the threats ‘trained' against me by Hon Kasukuwere and wish to reiterate that I deserve the freedom, and latitude to execute my oversight role without intimidation, threats, fear and favour, in line with Standing Rules and Orders, and Constitution of Zimbabwe…," he said.

For a man not so new to controversy, Kasukuwere is the former head of Zimbabwe's youth training programme, where unruly graduates have been routinely unleashed on a less-prepared electorate in recent years and he was also behind a very aggressive indigenisation programme, which ostracised many an investor.