Chombo vote buying exposed

LOCAL Government deputy minister, Marian Chombo is in the eye of a storm following a leaked tape recording in which she withdraws an earlier pledge to give a presiding officer agriculture land after it turned out that he decampaigned her in the just-ended provincial elections.

The deputy minister, who is estranged wife to long-serving former cabinet minister Ignatius Chombo, contested in the Tuesday Zanu-PF provincial elections in which she was targeting the deputy provincial chairman post through the basket system.

In the audio recording which has gone viral, Chombo is heard chastising one Foya for decampaigning her despite her promise to resolve a long-standing land dispute at Zilawa farm in which Foya has interests.

Chombo also attacks Foya for propping Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, whom she says would soon be removed from her ministerial job in the impending cabinet reshuffle.

Chombo said: "I know your stories Foya, don't do that. You must know where your bread is buttered, don't be used. Magaya is not going to help fix the land issue, and Mary Mliswa cannot help either to get that land you are seeking. It is me who was put into the President's committee to deal with Zilawa.

"Mary Mliswa doesn't sit on that committee, besides Mary Mliswa is soon going to be removed as Minister of State. If l tell you how we should move, you don't want. You come to my house pleading that l fix the Zilawa issue, how can l fix it when you backstab me?"

Chombo who sounded agitated added: "Zilawa is going to be turned into an A1 (settlement) at a meeting to be held the day after tomorrow, where l will make it pass, but how do l push for it when you incited people to vote against Chombo?"

Marian Chombo is not new to controversy.

At one time, she was rebuked by late former president Robert Mugabe for dragging her former hubby to court following a messy divorce and opting against reverting to her maiden name.

She also hobnobbed with former vice president Joice Mujuru's short-lived political outfit, People's First in which she was Mashonaland West provincial chairperson.

At the inception of the Second Republic led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa she applied for readmission into Zanu-PF and was accepted back and was surprisingly appointed a deputy minister due to her blood relations with July Moyo, a close ally of Mnangagwa.