ZVISHAVANE – About 150 people, who were allegedly bussed to vote for Zanu PF after being promised jobs are reportedly stranded in Zvishavane after the party failed to return them to their respective homes.
TATENDA CHITAGU
The people, drawn from various parts of the country, were allegedly bussed on the promise that they would be employed as security guards at Mimosa Mining Company, but since the elections, the terminus in Mandava has become their home.
After voting, sources said, they were dumped at a flea market at Zvishavane bus terminus after Zanu PF reneged on its promise.
The group have been milling around the terminus from Monday morning to Friday with barely enough to eat and without transport fares to return home. Some reportedly resorted to selling their cellphones in a desperate bid to raise money for food and bus fares.
On Friday morning, the group was moved from the terminus to Nill Township’s Old Hall in Shabanie Mine compound, ostensibly to avoid attracting “unnecessary attention”.
Southern Eye tracked the group down and found them crammed in the Old Hall, although efforts to take pictures were in vain, as the people were closely guarded by Zanu PF youths, who barred any contact with the group.
Sources said after being dumped, some of the people approached Mimosa to inquire about their promised employment.
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“It was a sorry sight. Some women with children strapped on their backs spent days without eating anything and rummaging into bins for food,” a source said. “Upon seeing that they had been duped, some of them approached Mimosa Mine, but were told that the company had no such deal with Zanu PF and that it had a full staff complement and (only) takes locals for such jobs.”
Another source privy to the developments said Mimosa’s chief security officer, only identified as Shonhiwa, went to the terminus and addressed the group, telling them that Mimosa was unaware of such an arrangement.
Efforts to contact Shonhiwa or Mimosa’s public relations department were fruitless yesterday.
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo professed ignorance over the matter, but said the party would create jobs for its supporters.
“I am not aware of that, but all I know is that people do not get jobs because they have voted,” he said. “We will actually create jobs for our people.”
Zanu PF’s John Holder won the Zvishavane-Ngezi seat after beating Mike Acroppo of the MDC-T.
