MDC-T councillor dies

POLITICAL prisoner and MDC-T councillor Weston Masiya has died after battling a long illness since his release from prison on bail pending appeal early last year.

Masiya, who was slapped with a two-year jail term last January by Kwekwe provincial magistrate Ngoni Nduna, after being found guilty of engaging in violence during a demonstration against President Robert Mugabe's regime, died at his home early on Sunday morning.

Kwekwe mayor Matenda Madzoke confirmed Masiya's death, saying the councillor had been admitted at Kwekwe General Hospital since Thursday last week, but died at his home a day after being discharged.

"He had been ill for a very long time and now he has passed on, it's a big loss for the city because he was very hardworking and always kept management on its feet," Madzoke said.

Masiya was the audit chairperson and was instrumental in exposing the alleged disappearance of $1 million from council coffers during the financial year of 2011 and 2012.

He becomes the second MDC-T councillor to die after being released from prison following the conviction.

Kwekwe deputy mayor Aaron Sithole died in March, hardly a month after his release from prison on bail in the same case.

Sithole died in Harare at a private hospital after his health deteriorated while he was held at Hwahwa Prison in Gweru for nearly a month.

Masiya was jailed together with MDC-T activist Tendai Virimayi and Sithole.

The two councillors complained of having been exposed to harsh cold weather and poor food during their incarceration, which affected their health.