Kasukuwere, Prophet Magaya stands saga turns bloody

The issue of residential stands that were earmarked for youths, but were reportedly sold to Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries founder Prophet Walter Magaya by Zanu-PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere turned nasty on Saturday after Zanu-PF Youth League commissar Innocent Hamandishe was manhandled by youths in Chitungwiza who accused him of trying to cover up the scandal.

The youths accused Hamandishe of being used by Kasukuwere as a front to pacify them over the sale of the stands earmarked for them in Harare's Chishawasha B area. During a meeting at Pagomba in Chitungwiza on Saturday, Hamandishe had to run for his life after he allegedly failed to explain circumstances surrounding the issue.

Sources said district chairpersons were offered at least 10 stands per individual to buy their support and not to question Kasukuwere's dealings. This, according to sources, was going to be done through a provincial political commissar who was only identified as Chilinjali who convened Saturday's meeting.

The district chairpersons, however, could not have any of this and asked for Kasukuwere to come and address them. Sources said: "The meeting was called under the guise that they wanted to get names of beneficiaries of the stands. The youths however, pointed from the onset that the President had pronounced himself on the issue and they wanted clarity from the national political commissar (Kasukuwere).

"All hell broke loose when Hamandishe was called to clarify the matter. Initially he refused to come and when he eventually came, his responses were not convincing. Some of the youths lost their temper and concluded that Hamandishe wanted to shield Kasukuwere and they manhandled him and slapped in the face."

Another source said: "After Hamandishe was manhandled, we agreed that we should meet on Monday and map the way forward. We felt that the issue should be addressed at the highest level because Chilinjali wanted to cheat us. He called a meeting on a different agenda only to smuggle other issues in the middle of the meeting."

Hamandishe could not be reached for a comment but the Zanu-PF youth league provincial chair for Harare province Edison Takataka said: "I was not aware of that meeting but I am told that the youths asked for clarification on the issue of stands and that is when Hamandishe was called.

"As youths, we really want that land and most of the people who were mentioned in your last report have plenty of properties and I think people should not be that greedy. "As far as we are concerned, our land is still there and our leader (Kudzanayi Chipanga) said they are still working on the paperwork and I am sure that is what is making some of the delays before allocation."

Kasukuwere was recently grilled by President Mugabe over the stands following reports that he had sold the land to Prophet Magaya during last week's Politburo meeting.

Documents seen by The Herald showed Kasukuwere gave some of the stands in question to his younger brother Tongai and close associates such as House of Assembly representatives for Kuwadzana Betty Kaseke and Harare South Shadreck Mashayamombe among others.