Garikai Mafirakureva
MIRROR REPORTER

BIKITA – Rowdy Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) members besieged Masvingo Cooperative in Bikita yesterday and threatened violence against Tinarwo Macheka, a carpernter who is living with disability before giving him three days’ notice to vacate a building where he operates from.
Macheka’s crime is that he aspires to represent Zimbabwe’s largest opposition party, Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) in the August 23 elections as its candidate for Ward 23 in Bikita.
Eleven other co-operative members working with Macheka were given notice and told that its building established in the 80s’ will now be turned into Zanu PF district offices.
Zanu PF candidate for Bikita West Daniel Nhatiso confirmed the incident and that he was present. He however, said things went out of control at the scene and blamed Masvingo Provincial Youth Chairperson Delight Mandebvu and Simon Muchafa, a provincial member for the fiasco. He said he tried hard to control the Zanu PF mob to no avail.
“They say they want to turn the place into Zanu PF offices. I was trying to calm our members. I never went there intending to threaten anyone. I tried hard, but they were uncontrollable,” said Nhatiso.
Macheka also confirmed the incident. He said he stayed at the co-operative building and also worked from there and the eviction means he was now both homeless and jobless.
Zanu PF has no offices in Bikita. The party uses late businessman Johnson Ndonde’s premises.    
A long convoy of cars belonging to aspiring Zanu PF MPs, youth leaders and FAZ made a beeline to the corporative building located at Nyika Growth Point and the occupants disembarked and started chanting slogans and singing war time songs. They threatened Macheka with physical violence before giving him three days’ notice to vacate the building.
Authoritative sources said the building belonged to the Government of Zimbabwe and Zanu PF youth or FAZ have no right or powers to evict anyone.
Mandebvu denied the allegations and said these were just rumours.
“They are mad. Nothing like that happened. I am in a meeting right now. Can you call me later,” said Mandebvu curtly.
Other senior party members allegedly present during the fiasco were Zanu PF Bikita East candidate Court Zevezayi and Bikita East candidate Energy Mutodi sent his car.
District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Political Commissar, Kudakwashe Gopo allegeldy led the mob.
Gopo promised to call back but never did. Zevezayi denied that he was at the scene but conceded that his vehicle was used by the riotors. He said the car was being driven by his young brother Tineyi.