News / National
Zanu-PF candidate dismantles boreholes in Gutu East
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A deepening water crisis has gripped Gutu East constituency after Zanu-PF parliamentary candidate Zvarevashe Masvingise allegedly caused the dismantling of community boreholes and failed to fulfil his promise of replacing them with solar-powered alternatives.
The crisis has affected both community gardens and households, with villagers - particularly women and young girls - now forced to walk long distances to fetch water from unprotected sources such as rivers and streams.
Masvingise, a former councillor, reportedly deployed Zanu-PF youths to dismantle manual boreholes in the area under the promise that they would be replaced with solarized boreholes within three days. However, nearly four weeks have passed with no signs of the solar borehole installations beginning.
In Ward 4's Nyazvidzi area, a serious water shortage was reported last weekend at Mandeya Business Centre during major church gatherings hosted by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) and the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM). Attendees were left without water after a borehole at the centre was dismantled by one Zanu-PF youth identified as Charles Mudhakwa Nqadini.
Attempts to obtain a comment from Nqadini were unsuccessful.
Independent candidate for Gutu East, Gift Gonese, who is contesting in the June 14, 2025 elections, confirmed the crisis and said villagers were now trying to salvage the damaged manual boreholes at their own cost.
"There is a serious outcry from the people," said Gonese. "Communities are trying to fix the manual boreholes, but it's expensive, and the situation is getting worse."
When contacted, Masvingise declined to comment, instead accusing The Masvingo Mirror of being biased against Zanu-PF.
On Wednesday, The Masvingo Mirror witnessed a team from the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) working to restore the borehole at Mandeya Business Centre. According to the RIDA workers, the borehole was extensively damaged by Nqadini and others during the dismantling process.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a similar situation during the run-up to the March 26, 2022 Masvingo City by-elections. Then, Zanu-PF had promised to install solar-powered boreholes in wards 3, 4, 5, and 7. Although tanks and drilling equipment were brought in, the projects were abandoned after the ruling party lost the election.
The current crisis has severely impacted several areas, including Zimbizi Primary and Secondary Schools in Ward 17, as well as Makanga, Dzino, and Gumindoga communities. In Ward 36, areas such as Chidoni, Muchekayaora, and Chana Clinic are also affected.
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) spokesperson Maddock Chivasa criticized the ruling party for failing to deliver even before the election date.
"Zanu-PF is already failing to fulfil its promises," said Chivasa. "The people of Gutu East and Zimbabwe at large deserve a new leadership that can deliver."
With the June 14 elections fast approaching, the water crisis in Gutu East has emerged as a flashpoint in the campaign, raising serious questions about service delivery and accountability.
The crisis has affected both community gardens and households, with villagers - particularly women and young girls - now forced to walk long distances to fetch water from unprotected sources such as rivers and streams.
Masvingise, a former councillor, reportedly deployed Zanu-PF youths to dismantle manual boreholes in the area under the promise that they would be replaced with solarized boreholes within three days. However, nearly four weeks have passed with no signs of the solar borehole installations beginning.
In Ward 4's Nyazvidzi area, a serious water shortage was reported last weekend at Mandeya Business Centre during major church gatherings hosted by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) and the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM). Attendees were left without water after a borehole at the centre was dismantled by one Zanu-PF youth identified as Charles Mudhakwa Nqadini.
Attempts to obtain a comment from Nqadini were unsuccessful.
Independent candidate for Gutu East, Gift Gonese, who is contesting in the June 14, 2025 elections, confirmed the crisis and said villagers were now trying to salvage the damaged manual boreholes at their own cost.
"There is a serious outcry from the people," said Gonese. "Communities are trying to fix the manual boreholes, but it's expensive, and the situation is getting worse."
On Wednesday, The Masvingo Mirror witnessed a team from the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) working to restore the borehole at Mandeya Business Centre. According to the RIDA workers, the borehole was extensively damaged by Nqadini and others during the dismantling process.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a similar situation during the run-up to the March 26, 2022 Masvingo City by-elections. Then, Zanu-PF had promised to install solar-powered boreholes in wards 3, 4, 5, and 7. Although tanks and drilling equipment were brought in, the projects were abandoned after the ruling party lost the election.
The current crisis has severely impacted several areas, including Zimbizi Primary and Secondary Schools in Ward 17, as well as Makanga, Dzino, and Gumindoga communities. In Ward 36, areas such as Chidoni, Muchekayaora, and Chana Clinic are also affected.
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) spokesperson Maddock Chivasa criticized the ruling party for failing to deliver even before the election date.
"Zanu-PF is already failing to fulfil its promises," said Chivasa. "The people of Gutu East and Zimbabwe at large deserve a new leadership that can deliver."
With the June 14 elections fast approaching, the water crisis in Gutu East has emerged as a flashpoint in the campaign, raising serious questions about service delivery and accountability.
Source - Mirror
