Terrence Mawawa, Chivi| Zanu PF Member of Parliament for Chivi North, Retired Brigadier Mathias Tongofa, has threatened local villagers with death for expressing grievances over food distribution.
Chivi North Constituency is one of the areas grossly affected by El nino such that there is imminent need for food relief.
Tongofa has openly threatened local villagers who pester him for food relief with death, much to the shock of the entire local community. His outbursts have come at a time when Zanu PF youths are looting food aid from both the government and donor agencies with Tongofa’s approval.
Concerned villagers told ZimEye.com yesterday, the MP said opposition supporters would not get food aid, despite claims from the government that there is no politicisation of food aid. “Tongofa who is a former soldier has threatened to kill us if we continue to frequent his homestead to express our concerns,” said a local villager.
They continued saying, “it is very sad to note that Zanu PF youths are looting food aid at will and the MP fully supports their actions. We do not know what to do because the MP is ignoring us.”
As a result of selective food distribution, only 50 households out of the 600 families in need of relief have so far received aid, leaving the villagers facing a critical shortage of food.
Tongofa who is also the Deputy Minister of Youth and Indigenisation and is working with Zanu PF militia to intimidate known opposition supporters in the area, was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.