Zanu PF councillor dragged to court for forcing villagers to pay US$800 for drought relief
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PRISCA MANYIWA-MASUKU
MIRROR REPORTER
KWEKWE – A Zibagwe Ward 7 opposition councilor, Simbarashe Hlabati has dragged a Zanu PF proportional representation councillor to court for collecting US$800 from desperate villagers to pay for transport of maize meant for drought relief.
Hlabati accuses proportional representation councillor, Rita Masiyambiri and Social Welfare officers J Govera, Mukondo, Thomas Ncube and Trymore Huni of colluding and refusing to use free transport that the former secured to transport the maize.
Hlabati seeks an order to bar the five from taking part in the distribution of welfare in the ward and to refund the villagers the money they paid. He also wants an investigation carried out against the defendants.
Drought relief is given to villagers at zero cost because the beneficiaries already have no money including food.
The court application was made at Kwekwe Civil Court under case number KkGL 163/24.
Hlabati says as the councillor of the area, he secured a truck from a well-wisher to ferry the grain to the ward but the respondents rejected the offer and opted for a hired truck.
“On 2 May 2024, Hlabati and Mukozho (the applicants) witnessed the respondents collecting US$800 from beneficiaries of the drought relief programme.
“This is an application to interdict the respondents 1 to 6 from unilaterally taking over the process of distribution of grain in the future and also for the honorable court to compel the respondents to refund the money they collected from beneficiaries.
“The applicants also seek an order to bar Govera and Mukondo (Social development officers) from presiding over food aid in future and also to order relevant authority in terms of Constitutional mandate to initiate investigations on Social development officers’ job description,” read the court application.