News / National
ZANU-PF's main sponsor, Mayor demolish school to erect Spazas
08 Sep 2025 at 23:32hrs |
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President Emmerson Mnangagwa's quest to fight drugs and substances abuse through vocational skills training centres revival is short-lived in Mbare (Njere area) as one of his Zanu-Pf party's top sponsors, JB Family connived with Zimbabwe Republic Police's provincial top brass (names supplied), Harare City Council officials (including Mayor, Jacob Mafume) to evict thousands (if not over a million) of livelihoods and rob their future following the demolition of a once famous vocational institution and shockingly replaces it with matchbox-sized spaza shops.
Investigations by Bulawayo24.com exposed that the well connected youthful JB Family business owner, whose interests mainly revolve around Mbare has managed to control all systems using influence and his financial muscle to silence critics, elbow out vulnerable students and some genuine party faithfuls.
The vocational facility was demolished, with those who vocally resisted the move suffered in the hands of armed and hired machete gangsters whose capacity to use maximum force was reinforced with law enforcement security agencies who were deployed at the venue to ensure that the spaza business is established without resistance or hindrance.
Some well-known critics are still hospitalised as they were selectively fished out by armed men donning in dark balaclavas during Nicodemus hour and dealt with in front of their dependents, a series of encounters which left many in horrific trauma.
Some victims were silenced using threats where they were promised that any form of resistance will result in both their hands and legs chopped off in front of their kids, whilst others vowed to fight despite being thoroughly bashed and left on intensive care treatment.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the victims alleged that he was forced to drink raw sewage liquid by some of the gangsters who severely assaulted him until he become unconscious, only to gain conscious upon arrival at a private health facility owned by a relative.
"We are now living in fear and the guy JB is untouchable. I was beaten until I nearly reached the life limit and I couldn't identify the gangsters who were covering their faces with balaclavas," he said.
"They dragged me into the flowing sewage and forced me to drink raw liquid just behind my yard. From that moment they concurrently question my capacity to resist JB's investment, to which I told them its a destruction of everyone's life and I was beaten up until I become unconscious," he added.
Others were claiming their properties were indiscriminately destroyed and they are counting losses, with the visit by Bulawayo24.com at various properties bearing the testimony to ruthless attacks by the gangsters.
When contacted to confirm about the ownership status and clarity about the transactions made by the new owner, JB, Harare City Council spokesperson, Mr. Stanley Gama requested that all questions should be send through WhatsApp and responded to them within ten minutes (10), a promised he sincerely ignore to fulfill.
Another effort to get a comment from Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume has also proven to be a futility as he insisted that everything is above board and there was no corruption in that deal. Upon being quizzed about providing the proof of transactions, Mafume backtracked and claims that the facility still remains a vocational skills training centre.
"What I understand is that they are building a bigger and better one. You can go and visit as well and vocational centres are for the whole districts I suppose," Mafume said.
"People come from all over to attend the ones in Mbare, and also note that it was not working but always closed. There is also another one in Mbare which will be upgraded but let me ask the local councillor or I think let's go on the ground together," Mafume pleaded.
Ward 4 councillor, Bonface Maburutse claimed that vocational training centre was replaced by a rehabilitation of the swimming pool at Mbare Stoddard Hall.
Maburutse was even carelessly claiming that those prospective student and drug addicts who wish to enrol for rehabilitation should go to Budiriro vocational training centre and if they do not have money for commuting daily, they should be forced to enrol with an institution in Mbare National that is currently offering carpentry only.
When contacted for a comment and response to inquiry about the cost of the acquired property, including clarity on acquisition procedure, JB Family businesses owner claims that everything done was authentic and legal.
"We have bought and acquired that place, and the necessary documentation to that effect is in place. It was only a matter of clarity which was needed and it was addressed by the police in Mbare," JB said.
"What was only discussed during an engagement meeting with stakeholders including residents and law enforcement agencies was that, we should reserve some percentage of our employment to the youths, as part of empowerment initiative to that investment. So to say there is still fight or resistance it would be unfair to put it that way," he added.
"We are doing business well and will not disturb their livelihoods, but surely invest into their future," he further claims.
In the run-up during Epworth local board's ward 6 by-election war chest, Zanu-PF national political commissar few months ago disclosed that Presidential Advisor Paul Tempter Tungwarara, Kudakwashe Tagwirei and JB Family business owner were the main sponsors for the party's programmes including political campaigns.
"Zanu-Pf on its own had insufficient budget for the electoral processes including campaigning resources for its candidate, specifically in Epworth. But it was through the genuine contributions from our main sponsors who made several amounts of donations, with those resources from well-wishers require no accountability unless requested so by the source (well-wishers themselves)," Machacha said then.
"So these resources towards the campaigns came from well-known well-wishers including businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Presidential advisor, Paul Tempter Tungwarara and a young businessman from Mbare, known as JB who has vast business empires and is a party faithful," Machacha said then.
At a time when drugs and substances abuse is increasing, with Mbare regularly topping the list of drug cartels and traffickers who push voluminous contraband, demolishing a vocational skills training centre at the convenience of victims would be hazardous and misplaced priority.
Investigations by Bulawayo24.com exposed that the well connected youthful JB Family business owner, whose interests mainly revolve around Mbare has managed to control all systems using influence and his financial muscle to silence critics, elbow out vulnerable students and some genuine party faithfuls.
The vocational facility was demolished, with those who vocally resisted the move suffered in the hands of armed and hired machete gangsters whose capacity to use maximum force was reinforced with law enforcement security agencies who were deployed at the venue to ensure that the spaza business is established without resistance or hindrance.
Some well-known critics are still hospitalised as they were selectively fished out by armed men donning in dark balaclavas during Nicodemus hour and dealt with in front of their dependents, a series of encounters which left many in horrific trauma.
Some victims were silenced using threats where they were promised that any form of resistance will result in both their hands and legs chopped off in front of their kids, whilst others vowed to fight despite being thoroughly bashed and left on intensive care treatment.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the victims alleged that he was forced to drink raw sewage liquid by some of the gangsters who severely assaulted him until he become unconscious, only to gain conscious upon arrival at a private health facility owned by a relative.
"We are now living in fear and the guy JB is untouchable. I was beaten until I nearly reached the life limit and I couldn't identify the gangsters who were covering their faces with balaclavas," he said.
"They dragged me into the flowing sewage and forced me to drink raw liquid just behind my yard. From that moment they concurrently question my capacity to resist JB's investment, to which I told them its a destruction of everyone's life and I was beaten up until I become unconscious," he added.
Others were claiming their properties were indiscriminately destroyed and they are counting losses, with the visit by Bulawayo24.com at various properties bearing the testimony to ruthless attacks by the gangsters.
When contacted to confirm about the ownership status and clarity about the transactions made by the new owner, JB, Harare City Council spokesperson, Mr. Stanley Gama requested that all questions should be send through WhatsApp and responded to them within ten minutes (10), a promised he sincerely ignore to fulfill.
Another effort to get a comment from Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume has also proven to be a futility as he insisted that everything is above board and there was no corruption in that deal. Upon being quizzed about providing the proof of transactions, Mafume backtracked and claims that the facility still remains a vocational skills training centre.
"People come from all over to attend the ones in Mbare, and also note that it was not working but always closed. There is also another one in Mbare which will be upgraded but let me ask the local councillor or I think let's go on the ground together," Mafume pleaded.
Ward 4 councillor, Bonface Maburutse claimed that vocational training centre was replaced by a rehabilitation of the swimming pool at Mbare Stoddard Hall.
Maburutse was even carelessly claiming that those prospective student and drug addicts who wish to enrol for rehabilitation should go to Budiriro vocational training centre and if they do not have money for commuting daily, they should be forced to enrol with an institution in Mbare National that is currently offering carpentry only.
When contacted for a comment and response to inquiry about the cost of the acquired property, including clarity on acquisition procedure, JB Family businesses owner claims that everything done was authentic and legal.
"We have bought and acquired that place, and the necessary documentation to that effect is in place. It was only a matter of clarity which was needed and it was addressed by the police in Mbare," JB said.
"What was only discussed during an engagement meeting with stakeholders including residents and law enforcement agencies was that, we should reserve some percentage of our employment to the youths, as part of empowerment initiative to that investment. So to say there is still fight or resistance it would be unfair to put it that way," he added.
"We are doing business well and will not disturb their livelihoods, but surely invest into their future," he further claims.
In the run-up during Epworth local board's ward 6 by-election war chest, Zanu-PF national political commissar few months ago disclosed that Presidential Advisor Paul Tempter Tungwarara, Kudakwashe Tagwirei and JB Family business owner were the main sponsors for the party's programmes including political campaigns.
"Zanu-Pf on its own had insufficient budget for the electoral processes including campaigning resources for its candidate, specifically in Epworth. But it was through the genuine contributions from our main sponsors who made several amounts of donations, with those resources from well-wishers require no accountability unless requested so by the source (well-wishers themselves)," Machacha said then.
"So these resources towards the campaigns came from well-known well-wishers including businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Presidential advisor, Paul Tempter Tungwarara and a young businessman from Mbare, known as JB who has vast business empires and is a party faithful," Machacha said then.
At a time when drugs and substances abuse is increasing, with Mbare regularly topping the list of drug cartels and traffickers who push voluminous contraband, demolishing a vocational skills training centre at the convenience of victims would be hazardous and misplaced priority.
Source - Byo24news
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