BULAWAYO businessman Gift Banda allegedly positioned himself for the city deputy mayoral position by using financial muscle to get the support of newly-elected councillors and some senior party members.
Nduduzo Tshuma
Banda has since dismissed the claims that he bought the councillors suits to influence their voting as “gutter, rubbish.”
MDC-T last week chose National University of Science and Technology lecturer Mandla Nyathi as candidates for the city mayor. Nyathi is likely to be deputised by Martin Moyo.
But Banda, who has held posts at the now defunct Njube Sundowns Football Club and Zimbabwe Football Association, had reportedly made a spirited campaign for the post of deputy mayor.
MDC-T insiders said eyebrows were raised when one of Banda’s Mercedes-Benz vehicles was seen as a regular part of convoy of a senior party leader who stays in Bulawayo.
“There are reports that Banda bought suits for some councillors who were voted into the local authority for the first time to make sure that he builds a power base within the local authority,” an MDC-T official said.
“The Mercedes-Benz, which has been a constant feature in the official’s motorcade for a while, heightened speculation that Banda had been canvassing for support for the deputy mayor’s position.”
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Party insiders added that Banda had also started spending most of his time with some newly-elected councillors, some of whom are as young as 26 years.
“Banda realised that it would be difficult for him to land the mayor’s post and has shifted to the position of deputy that he is vigorously campaigning for. It remains to be seen, however, if his manoeuvres will be successful,” said party source ahead of last week’s selection.
Contacted for comment, Banda dismissed the claims as, “gutter rubbish”.
“I will not give credence to stories that that are gutter rubbish,” he said. “This is just mudslinging and smear campaigns from people who fear competition.
“For a person to come up with such allegations that I gave her (the MDC-T official) one of my vehicles does not make sense because one needs to ask themselves how many vehicles she has.
“They say such things are found in politics when people play dirty games, but they need to first bring forward people that I allegedly bought suits for,” Banda added.
