Troubles mount for Jacob Mudenda

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has been trending in Zimbabwe after he lobbied parliamentarians to change the laws and allow a diaspora vote , a move which left a bitter taste in the mouths of ZANU PF members.

Youths from the Mashonaland West Province are now questioning where Mudenda's allegiances lie.

Mudenda has been accused of fraternizing with Zimbabwe's enemies outside his mandate as Speaker of Parliament and outside the government's reengagement policy. The youths are accusing Mudenda of being used as a conduit of a Western sponsored Zimbabwe reform agenda which is being spearheaded by Western embassies.

The youths from Mashonaland West have urged the party to ensure that the party does not keep nor promote snakes within its ranks.

A ZANU PF MP who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "Mudenda is no stranger to controversy as he has been accused of corruption among other allegations.  Mudenda's son Donald who is listed as director and owner of Dynamic Success Pvt Ltd was sucked into so many scandals including the famous botched 1,7 million-litre diesel tender for the refurbishment of Victoria Falls International Airport that was carried out by a Chinese contractor, China Jiangsu International EEC. This deal was done with the authority of Jacob Mudenda who was chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe. This deal needs to be investigated."

The MP added that, "Donald Mudenda has been in the media for all the wrong reasons, he was taken to court over failure to pay rentals in Kensington Harare and was also taken to court for failure to repay a bank loan. One wonders if Donald was acting on his own or if he serves as a runner for his father."

Tendekai Mangwiro a political analyst from Manicaland added that, "Jacob  Mudenda was named as corrupt by the ZANU PF youth league in 2019 though ZACC has not taken any action against him. It is alleged that Mudenda got 3000 hectares of land from Victoria Falls town council and failed to develop the land for more than a decade prompting the town council to summon him with intent of repossession as stipulated by the town authorities by- law."

"To avoid losing the land, Mudenda is said to have hatched a plan and approached ZESA Holdings Pension Fund offering to sell the land in question located at Stand Number 1351 Victoria Falls township. Title deeds on the said piece of land were only done after Zesa had paid Mudenda in 2018.

"Documents show that the land was valued at 500 000  United States Dollars but Mudenda sold it for twice the market value to ZESA Holdings Pension Fund. It is alleged that bank transfers dated May 24 2018 indicate that  ZESA Holdings Pension Fund paid out $500 000 United States Dollars from its Stanbic Bank account number 9140002086010 into Mudenda's ZB Bank Limited account.

"The other $500 000 was deposited to Vic Falls town council  and Mudenda literally acted as a 'middle man' pocketing half a million United States Dollars in the dubious transaction. Mudenda has not yet cleared his name on this allegation and we do hope that ZACC will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion."

Mudenda has been implicated in ZINARA and Willowgate scandals and he has managed to survive.

Henry Kagura a card carrying member of ZANU PF and historian added that, "ZANU PF should appoint ideologically clear individuals to the post of Speaker of Parliament because that position is critical in defending and promoting the aspirations of the liberation struggle."