Zanu PF Councillors and traditional leaders in the Midlands province are looting drought relief maize meant to benefit the starving members of the community, a senior government official has said.
Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Jaison Machaya told reporters at the weekend that he has received reports from Zvishavane and other areas in the province of officials looting food aid.
“These reports are disturbing and we want to warn such individuals that the long arm of the law is going catch up with them,” he said.
“These are leaders who should be in the fore front of protecting their people and it is a shame to hear that they are abusing their authority”.
Meanwhile a Zanu PF councillor and three party youths have been slapped with an 18-month jail term each for stealing drought relief maize meant to benefit underprivileged members of their community.
The four according to News Day — Makonde-Obva ward 8 councillor Wilbert Kanyama (46), Zanu PF youths Gift Chikoreki (33), Tapiwa Handiseni (36) and Grahem Mareva (40) — were convicted and sentenced by Chinhoyi magistrate Brenda Dhliwayo last Friday.
The court, however, set aside six months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour and another 12 months on condition they performed 410 hours community service starting today.