Villagers Snub Mugabe’s Seed Handouts

Villagers who had been trapped into gathering at Mashingaidze after being told that there was a very important meeting were shocked to discover that it was Zanu-PF which wanted to distribute seed donation to them.

However, the party leadership was left with an egg in the face as villagers insisted that an era for being manipulated by the octogenarian leader who has ruled Zimbabwe for the past 30 years has long gone.

An individual household was expected to go home with about two kilograms of maize seed.

Villagers refused saying they were able to buy such amount of seeds from their own pockets.

War veteran and Zanu-PF horse for the next parliamentary elections in the constituency Custon Mukurunge ended up begging party youths to round up villagers in ward 17 and plead with them to get the donation to avoid embarrassment.

The move did not work as only a handful loyal to Zanu-PF councilor for ward 17 returned and collected the seed.

“We are fed up with this kind of manipulation. How can they try to buy us with only two kilograms of maize, we are politically mature now and we therefore cannot be taken for granted,” said a man from Vhiriri area in ward 17.

The inputs were part of Mugabe donation distributed across the whole country. The containers have Mugabe’s photograph and Zanu-PF slogans.

Mukurunge who was the most senior party member when the incident occurred refused to comment saying what happened had nothing to do with the media.

“Are you a farmer? I will not talk to you because what we are doing has completely nothing to do with the media,” said Mukurunge.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) legislator for the area Tangwara Matimba said the people in his area are exhausted by the people who only use and dump them after election.

“The incident was a rude awakening to Zanu-PF. The people in my constituency are politically mature that they can not be bribed by sweets and these petty gifts, they need actual development, peace and
tranquility”, said Matimba.

This is probably the first time for the people to deny donations in a rural area.

“Zanu-PF has lost touch with the people and it will be very difficult to make a comeback and win the people’s approval to rule,” added Matimba.