Calls for Kasukuwere's arrest

ZANU-PF Central Committee member Elifasi Mashaba has called for the arrest of former Cabinet Minister, Mr Saviour Kasukuwere, accusing him of duping Bulawayo residents over stands at Umvutshwa on the outskirts of the city.

In 2016 the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, which was headed by Mr Kasukuwere, set aside 3 300 hectares of land in Umvutshwa to allocate to the youths.

Bulawayo youths were told to pay $50 monthly instalments to the Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) so that they could be allocated the stands.

However, it later emerged that the land Mr Kasukuwere had "earmarked" for youths was actually private land.

Speaking during an outreach meeting with Government departments organised by the Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister, Angelina Masuku at Nketa 8 Hall on Sunday, Mashaba said Mr Kasukuwere should be arrested.

"There is another burning issue that I thought residents would bring up during this discussion. There are criminals who came here and promised to offer housing stands to Bulawayo residents. Scores of residents were made to pay $50 to Udcorp so that they could be allocated stands in Umvutshwa," said Mashaba.

"One of the criminals who had escaped but has since returned still a criminal is Kasukuwere. We want Kasukuwere to be arrested over Umvutshwa stands. We have people who lost money to Udcorp. Some lost between $50 and $500 even here in Nketa and Emganwini suburbs."

Mr Kasukuwere escaped into self-imposed exile last year in November during the Zimbabwe Defence Forces' Operation Restore Legacy which led to the resignation of former President Mr Robert Mugabe. The former Zanu-PF National Political Commissar and member of the G40 cabal only returned into the country last month, vowing to stay out of politics.

Last year, Zanu-PF youths raised the red flag over Mr Kasukuwere's failure to deliver the stands.

The youths demanded that he comes clean over the stands issue and wanted reimbursement of their funds.