News / National
Zanu PF youths robbed residents of their cash during one million march preps
05 Jul 2016 at 05:43hrs | Views
The ruling Zanu PF youth are reported to have took advantage of the one million man march which the party conducted in May to rob residents of their cash in the pretext that they were collecting the money for the march yet their converted it to their own uses.
According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project on 25 May 2206 an estimated group of between 50 000 and 100,000 converged in Harare for the One Million Man March.
"It is reported that in some areas like Zengeza, Zanu PF youths took advantage of the one million men march to rob citizens on the pretext of collecting cash for the march. It is reported that on 24 May Zanu PF youths went about collecting money from vendors in and along the hospital place and Pagomba area of Zengeza 4 making people believe that it was to assist with travelling expenses for the million man march but they channelled it to their own use because they had not been authorised by their superiors as it later emerged," reads the ZPP report.
"In a related incident, on the 24 May Zanu PF youths dismissed the touts at Chigovanyika St Mary's bus terminus. The youths started collecting money from commuters. In the early hours of May 25 they started collecting money from each vendor as a form of fund raising for One Million Man March. All shops were closed by Zanu PF youths in Seke North."
ZPP said in central Harare vendors were forced to close their stalls and attend the march.
"In one incident a pool table was destroyed at the corner of Kwame Nkrumah and Chinhoyi Street opposite Chicken Slice. All the vendors had been ordered to close their market stalls but the owner of the pool table ignored the order," said ZPP.
ZPP stated that also the use of land as part of a political patronage system is common in Harare.
"It was reported that in Epworth, Zanu PF is giving out stands to its supporters at Dunstan area Airport road. It is worthwhile to note that people who had been allocated these stands earlier were moved to Chitungwiza but the allocation of stands has begun for new people. It is widely believed that the allocation of stands is part of the campaign strategy by Zanu PF ahead of the 2018 elections," ZPP said.
According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project on 25 May 2206 an estimated group of between 50 000 and 100,000 converged in Harare for the One Million Man March.
"It is reported that in some areas like Zengeza, Zanu PF youths took advantage of the one million men march to rob citizens on the pretext of collecting cash for the march. It is reported that on 24 May Zanu PF youths went about collecting money from vendors in and along the hospital place and Pagomba area of Zengeza 4 making people believe that it was to assist with travelling expenses for the million man march but they channelled it to their own use because they had not been authorised by their superiors as it later emerged," reads the ZPP report.
"In a related incident, on the 24 May Zanu PF youths dismissed the touts at Chigovanyika St Mary's bus terminus. The youths started collecting money from commuters. In the early hours of May 25 they started collecting money from each vendor as a form of fund raising for One Million Man March. All shops were closed by Zanu PF youths in Seke North."
ZPP said in central Harare vendors were forced to close their stalls and attend the march.
"In one incident a pool table was destroyed at the corner of Kwame Nkrumah and Chinhoyi Street opposite Chicken Slice. All the vendors had been ordered to close their market stalls but the owner of the pool table ignored the order," said ZPP.
ZPP stated that also the use of land as part of a political patronage system is common in Harare.
"It was reported that in Epworth, Zanu PF is giving out stands to its supporters at Dunstan area Airport road. It is worthwhile to note that people who had been allocated these stands earlier were moved to Chitungwiza but the allocation of stands has begun for new people. It is widely believed that the allocation of stands is part of the campaign strategy by Zanu PF ahead of the 2018 elections," ZPP said.
Source - Byo24News
