A nine-year-old boy died while his friend was left nursing injuries after they were hit by a Zanu PF campaign vehicle on Monday in Pumula North high-density suburb, Bulawayo.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Polite Dube, who was a Grade 5 pupil at Amaswazi Primary School, will be buried today.
His father Saulos confirmed the development yesterday.
Polite’s classmate Methembe Moyo (10) was discharged yesterday from Mpilo Central Hospital where he had been admitted since Monday.
Family sources told Southern Eye that the minors met their fate after they had been sent to a supermarket when a Zanu PF campaign vehicle carrying party supporters veered off the road and hit them.
Pumula is one of Bulawayo’s five constituencies where by-elections will be held on June 10.
In separate interviews yesterday, the boys’ parents blasted Zanu PF officials in the city for failing to contribute towards medical and burial expenses.
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“They only visited us on Wednesday evening. They were quiet all along and were non-committal about meeting burial expenses and compensating us for the loss since their driver was said to have been drunk.
“They, however, promised to come back to us and meet burial expenses,” Saulos said yesterday.
Siphiwe Moyo, grandmother to Methembe, said the ruling party did not meet his medical bills “They never visited Methembe when he was in hospital,” she said.
“They only came yesterday morning with $20, a 10kg bag of mealie meal and two loaves of bread. Otherwise they did not meet any of his medical expenses.”
Zanu PF Pumula candidate Godfrey Malaba and police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube were unreachable for comment. The party’s Bulawayo provincial chairman Dennis Dube was also unreachable for comment.
Six other candidates vying for the constituency include former MP of the area, Albert Mhlanga (independent), Jackson Lunga (NCA), Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu (Transform Zimbabwe) and other independent candidates Zanele Mpofu, Misheck Ncube, Morrison Maluso and Bathandi Mpofu (Zapu).
