Mukodza: A Chairman who isn't a Chairman

There is an African saying that the easiest way to earn a bad name is to help an ungrateful person. Manicaland Chairman Taanda Mukodza is that proverbial figure giving a bad name to the very people who hoisted him to his current status.

Mukodza has never won a serious election in his political life and has mainly subsisted on co-options and appointments. Ironically, his current tantrums are because he wants to push through Tungwarara's own co-option!

His journey to the current position, from which he has displayed shocking insubordination, is a brief account of co-options, expulsions due to indiscipline, and chance encounters with the redemptive power of President Mnangagwa's administration.

In 2008, he was co-opted into being the Youth Chairperson, but barely 3 years later, he was fired through a vote of no confidence by his subordinates at the 16th Zanu-PF Annual People's Conference in Gweru.

He had a long hiatus from real power until Operation Restore Legacy in 2017 fished him out and back into being Youth Chair again. Again, without elections!

Mukodza was then appointed Vice Chairperson for the Province dealing with Zimunya-Marange District. His modus operandi as a politician was to use money to buy support. Though he had been given the position by Madiro, he betrayed him and began supporting another guy called Admire Mahachi, who contested Madiro for the Central Committee position.

In December 2022, through a bogus PCC where elections were not held, he became the Chairperson for Manicaland. At that same event, Provincial War Veterans League chairman, Linda Matatu, was announced the vice chairman, while Albert Nyakuedzwa, the Makoni District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairman, became the Provincial Political Commissar.

Its also very curious how Matatu can both be Chair for War Veterans and Vice Chair of the Province.

The whole setup has been a vehicle for self-aggrandizement and the money trail behind Mukodza validates this. It's well-known how he has reduced his position into a money-spinning venture and he is the only Provincial Chairperson to have received 3 vehicles.

Outside the party vehicles, he got a Ford Ranger, a Land Cruiser, and a Ford Everest (SUV). Besides the US$100K given to Chairpersons, he got another $300K from Tungwarara, got another $40K for the Executive which he never handed over plus another $25K. He has squandered over half a million of that which is known using his position.

Mukodza is operating as one who is ready and willing to be fired and thus is amassing as much as he can. On the group called 100%  ZANU PF and to anyone who listens he has revealed his readiness for such an eventuality. How do you expect such a person to obey orders from the party leaders? He has already defied senior leaders such as Muchinguri, Chinamasa, and Machacha.

As it they have been working with Chris to make Monica Mutsvangwa the godmother of Manicaland to supersede Oppah Muchinguri. That's why Chris was present at the last Tungwarara event, to support the initiative for his wife to become the powerhouse.

For now, Mukodza only listens to Tungwarara because he gets money from him, which is why he defied Machacha for the PCC endorsement meeting. Mukodza is now only working for his money. He has been taking gold claims even from fellow party members and now has several claims in Penhalonga, plus houses in various upmarket Mutare locations.

This is an unelected person. The question should be why the party has allowed someone who was not elected to continue in office while also operating so wantonly. When is the party going to have a substantive Chairperson? He is clearly working for his money, and it's about time the right reports came through.