Zanu-PF minister flees angry villagers

Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and several senior government officials on Monday made a hasty retreat from Chingwizi holding camp in Mwenezi as angry Tokwe-Mukosi flood victims booed and heckled him demanding compensation before they move to nearby resettlement plots.

The situation became volatile when Bhasikiti told the flood victims that the millions of dollars raised for their compensation had been diverted by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to pay civil servants' salaries.

On Monday, Bhasikiti went to Chingwizi with armed riot police in a bid to contain the restive crowd, but the villagers forced him to cut short his speech as they booed him and refused to chant Zanu-PF slogans.

They vowed to stay put at the camp where there has been an outbreak of diseases such as diarrhea, gonorrhea and syphilis.