Opinion / Columnist
Zanu-PF must not politic amid disaster
02 Feb 2021 at 06:32hrs | Views
WHILE touring houses affected by flash floods in Chitungwiza last week, Local Government minister July Moyo said government was in the process of scouting for alternative land to resettle people who built structures on wetlands and riverbanks.
He said government had already identified land to resettle people to prevent possible disasters in the wake of floods that affected most towns after incessant rains pounded the country since December last year.
"We want the population to understand this and those in these areas (Chitungwiza): We want them to come forward and say I think we are settled in a wrong place. You don't regularise a person who is sitting on a wetland, you can't. You can't regularise someone who is in a stream. So when we are talking about regularisation, we are saying let's move those people in who are in wetlands," he said.
Where was Moyo when land barons, most of them renowned Zanu-PF supporters, were parcelling out land on wetlands, riverbeds and over sewer pipes? Who doesn't know that Frederick Mabamba is the chief culprit? He virtually owns every piece of land in Chitungwiza. He is the council unto himself.
Zanu-PF has not dared to question him, but will always rush to blame the opposition for the chaos that is bedevilling urban local authorities. It is disheartening that the ruling party has been casting a blind eye on these developments for it to come now and play the Good Samaritan. It is undeniable that Moyo is playing the "nice guy", politicking at the height of a disaster.
Homeseekers were fleeced of their hardearned money by unscrupulous Zanu-PF land barons and Moyo and his National Housing and Social Amenities counterpart Daniel Garwe are trying to score cheap political points amid a disaster. Where are the cheap houses that Zanu-PF promised in the run-up to the 2018 elections?
While this sounds to be a noble idea, one wonders why the government is always reactive rather than being proactive.
Such man-made disasters like what befell Chitungwiza residents are unfortunate, but could have been avoided if Zanu-PF was serious about restoring order in local authorities.
He said government had already identified land to resettle people to prevent possible disasters in the wake of floods that affected most towns after incessant rains pounded the country since December last year.
"We want the population to understand this and those in these areas (Chitungwiza): We want them to come forward and say I think we are settled in a wrong place. You don't regularise a person who is sitting on a wetland, you can't. You can't regularise someone who is in a stream. So when we are talking about regularisation, we are saying let's move those people in who are in wetlands," he said.
Where was Moyo when land barons, most of them renowned Zanu-PF supporters, were parcelling out land on wetlands, riverbeds and over sewer pipes? Who doesn't know that Frederick Mabamba is the chief culprit? He virtually owns every piece of land in Chitungwiza. He is the council unto himself.
Zanu-PF has not dared to question him, but will always rush to blame the opposition for the chaos that is bedevilling urban local authorities. It is disheartening that the ruling party has been casting a blind eye on these developments for it to come now and play the Good Samaritan. It is undeniable that Moyo is playing the "nice guy", politicking at the height of a disaster.
Homeseekers were fleeced of their hardearned money by unscrupulous Zanu-PF land barons and Moyo and his National Housing and Social Amenities counterpart Daniel Garwe are trying to score cheap political points amid a disaster. Where are the cheap houses that Zanu-PF promised in the run-up to the 2018 elections?
While this sounds to be a noble idea, one wonders why the government is always reactive rather than being proactive.
Such man-made disasters like what befell Chitungwiza residents are unfortunate, but could have been avoided if Zanu-PF was serious about restoring order in local authorities.
Source - newsday
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