News / National
Zanu-PF MP, party members clash
11 Jan 2016 at 06:10hrs | Views
ZANU-PF Harare North MP Tongesayi Mudambo is under siege from fellow party members who are pushing for his ouster on allegations of being part of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru's People First project.
On Saturday, Mudambo's accusers demonstrated in Hatcliffe accusing him of failing to protect them from housing cooperatives and land barons who were demanding large sums of money from homeseekers.
Mudambo, however, accused Justin Zvandasara of organising the demonstrations in order to elbow him out and take over the constituency.
"Firstly, I am not involved in co-operative business. This mess was there when I came. The people who demonstrated were on the ground when these co-operatives were started. The Local Government minister (Saviour Kasukuwere) came after I approached him (Zvandasara) to stop the land barons from taking people's money and that is also my position," Mudambo said.
"These are the same people who lost in the primary elections who are raising questions over my age and accusing me of working and being funded by the MDC-T. They never accepted defeat. They said I was young, after I won they started saying I am Gamatox, they said I was G40 and now they say I am People First.
He added: "People are suffering and people doing this should rot in jail. They want to use consortiums for their political gains. They gave people notices saying they should pay money to the developer or else they leave the place within 48 hours. That is wrong and as MP, I want to ensure the government directive is adhered to.
"They are taking money from people, but there is no development on the ground."
He also said he will seek for direction from the relevant ministry. "After this I am going back to the ministry to say what is the way forward? Some 8 000 people voted for me and less than 50 demonstrated. These 8 000 should say I must go. They can't steal using the party name," he charged.
However, Zanu-PF district youth chairperson Trymore Kanyemba said that they were seeking the intervention of the provincial leadership for Mudambo's ouster accusing him of working with People First.
"We know he is working with the People First. Many district chairpersons demonstrated, but I am speaking because it happened in my district," he said.
On Saturday, Mudambo's accusers demonstrated in Hatcliffe accusing him of failing to protect them from housing cooperatives and land barons who were demanding large sums of money from homeseekers.
Mudambo, however, accused Justin Zvandasara of organising the demonstrations in order to elbow him out and take over the constituency.
"Firstly, I am not involved in co-operative business. This mess was there when I came. The people who demonstrated were on the ground when these co-operatives were started. The Local Government minister (Saviour Kasukuwere) came after I approached him (Zvandasara) to stop the land barons from taking people's money and that is also my position," Mudambo said.
"These are the same people who lost in the primary elections who are raising questions over my age and accusing me of working and being funded by the MDC-T. They never accepted defeat. They said I was young, after I won they started saying I am Gamatox, they said I was G40 and now they say I am People First.
He added: "People are suffering and people doing this should rot in jail. They want to use consortiums for their political gains. They gave people notices saying they should pay money to the developer or else they leave the place within 48 hours. That is wrong and as MP, I want to ensure the government directive is adhered to.
"They are taking money from people, but there is no development on the ground."
He also said he will seek for direction from the relevant ministry. "After this I am going back to the ministry to say what is the way forward? Some 8 000 people voted for me and less than 50 demonstrated. These 8 000 should say I must go. They can't steal using the party name," he charged.
However, Zanu-PF district youth chairperson Trymore Kanyemba said that they were seeking the intervention of the provincial leadership for Mudambo's ouster accusing him of working with People First.
"We know he is working with the People First. Many district chairpersons demonstrated, but I am speaking because it happened in my district," he said.
Source - newsday
