By A Correspondent- ZANU PF legislator for Buhera Central Constituency  Matthew Gijima Nyashanu and some of his District Coordinating Committes(DCCs) and a provincial youth leader for Manicaland Province have been accused of conducting party meetings by villagers in defiance of president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s lockdown measures.

The MP who has been missing in action since 2018 has been accused of coming back at the Eleventh hour  with the help of  some handpicked DCC members from his Constituency namely Anxious Murizikazi and Douglas Musakaruka both serving members in the civil service as teachers,notwithstanding it is against the party directive.

Another  Provincial Youth  Member is  Taurai Muzondori. 

The legislator and his blu-eyed boys are reportedly on a whirlwind tour of the constiuency convening meetings meant to canvass votes for certain party members believed to be aligned to him ahead of the impending district and provincial restructuring exercises.   

                           The meetings are in blatant disregard of lockdown regulations, social distancing and mask-wearing.       
                                  On his eleventh hour re-mergece the legislator reportedly attributed it to the “pressing commitments” that President Munangagwa continuously heap on him.
Pressed to explain what he really meant during one of his infamous meetings at Gwama Business Centre, in Chirozva District Ward 23 held recently, the cocky and abrasive legislator had the temerity to protest with a straight face.  

 “Your complains about me having taken a long time before coming to meet you is an old-fashioned way of doing politics,” much to the charging  of the people in attendance.                                         

Having been brought up to speed on these alleged meetings with the inevitable potential of being super-spreaders, the Acting Buhera District Environmental Health Officer Mr Shepherd Makombe noted that on account of the national lockdown, their movement across the whole district to get first hand information has become a mammoth task.  

“Our Office is not aware of these meetings since it is located in Buhera West Constituency so Buhera Central is a tad too far for us to superitend flawlessly add to this the national lockdown which has quite naturally rendered the movement around the length and breadth of the district as per our norm a challenge.It is in light of the aforementioned that we will be waiting to react to reports brought from the communities,” he said.

Upon reaching out to the the legislator Matthew Gijima Nyashanu to get his side of the story, he had to cut short the phone call before fielding the questions pertaining the allegations being levelled against him.

Repeated efforts to call and text him was an exercise in futility as there was no response up to the time of going to print.       

Contacted for comment, Mr Felix Nangatidza, a Zanu PF Councilor for Ward 20 expressed dismay that the legislator was nicodemously conducting meetings in a Ward under his jurisdiction in defiance of the national lockdown regulations,only to get to know it through the grapevine yet the two must be working hand in glove on both developmental and party issues.        

Since the announcement of the Level 4 lockdown, the MP and his team have convened meetings at Zivhu Business Center(Ward 20), Matsvai Business Centre(Ward32, Makuvise District) and Charambira Primary School (Ward 22, Chitezwa District).