Energy Mutodi fires back at ZPP

A fierce political storm is brewing in Masvingo following damning allegations by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) that Bikita South legislator, Energy Mutodi, threatened to exclude certain wards from development programmes due to their voting patterns. The claims, detailed in ZPP's May 2025 report, accuse Mutodi of declaring that Wards 4, 28, and 29 would not benefit from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) or Devolution allocations because they "did not vote for him."

"In a case of political discrimination, the MP for Bikita South openly declared that Wards 4, 28, and 29 would be excluded from development programmes because they did not vote for him," reads the report.

But Mutodi has come out swinging, furiously denying the allegations and accusing ZPP of being a mouthpiece for the opposition. He dismissed the report as "rumour-mongering," saying it was riddled with factual inaccuracies.

"There is no Ward 28 in my constituency. All wards voted well for me, and there will be no discrimination in development projects. Your source is flawed, the ZPP is an opposition-sponsored report," said Mutodi in response to the allegations.

He went on to clarify that he has no direct control over the disbursement of devolution funds, which are managed by the Minister of State in coordination with provincial and ward councilors. Furthermore, he noted that Bikita South is yet to receive its allocation of the Constituency Development Fund.

"I do not control devolution funds. They are controlled by the Minister of State in consultation with provincial and ward councilors. Currently, Bikita South has not received the CDF," he said.

Mutodi also pointed to his sponsorship of the Energy Mutodi Soccer Tournament, which he said involves participation from all 11 wards in the constituency, as proof of his commitment to inclusive community development.

"Right now, all 11 wards are participating in the Energy Mutodi Soccer Tournament freely and on an equal opportunity basis. I am not excluding anyone," he said.

However, criticism of the MP has mounted, with TellZim News recently rating Mutodi as one of the poorest performing MPs in Masvingo. Residents have accused him of being detached from grassroots issues, alleging that he only appears in the constituency when high-profile events take place.

ZPP's report also highlighted wider concerns of partisan resource distribution in Masvingo Province. In another incident from Bikita East, Ward 21 councilor Vengai Muchini allegedly declared that food aid would only be distributed to known ZANU PF supporters.

"Muchini, who oversees the food distribution process, insisted that only confirmed ZANU PF supporters would receive aid," reads the report. "He further declared that Social Welfare officials would not be permitted to collect or review the beneficiary lists, effectively consolidating partisan control over what should be an impartial, life-saving intervention aimed at drought-affected households."

As political tension simmers, the allegations against Mutodi and Muchini have reignited debate about fairness and inclusivity in development and aid distribution in rural Zimbabwe. The ZPP report has triggered calls for greater transparency and accountability from elected officials, even as the accused continue to dismiss the claims as politically motivated attacks.