In a shocking and embarrassing development, high-ranking Zanu PF officials and top government employees have been accused of looting food hampers and agricultural inputs donated by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa during a wellness campaign in Masvingo on Wednesday.
Zanu PF Bigwigs Loot First Lady’s Donations Meant for Struggling Villagers
Thousands of villagers, including schoolchildren, were bused to Masvingo Show Grounds for the campaign, where they received free disease screenings. Attendees were grouped into tens and made to share a single 50kg bag of rice, while top government and Zanu PF officials each walked away with a 10kg bag of mealie meal.
Zanu PF Masvingo vice chairperson, Trust Mugabe, who oversaw the distribution, defended the allocation process, insisting that the donations were distributed fairly.
Mugabe added that top party and Government officials received mealie meal because they are leaders.
Among those who reportedly benefited were senior Masvingo City Council managers, high-ranking Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) members, provincial heads of government ministries, and members of the Zanu PF provincial coordinating committee (PCC).
Driver Caught Taking Tick Grease
One of the more startling incidents involved Revesai Chikwanda, a driver in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), who allegedly tried to walk away with six bottles of tick grease. Mugabe, upon noticing, publicly ordered Chikwanda to return the loot via the venue’s public address system.
Chikwanda allegedly claimed he had been sent by Masvingo Minister of State, Ezra Chadzamira, to collect the tick grease, a claim he later denied when contacted for comment. However, Mugabe confirmed that Chikwanda eventually returned the items after being confronted.
“He took the tick grease without permission and | ordered him to return it. He complied with the instruction,” said Mugabe.
Chadzamira could not be reached for comment as his phone went unanswered.
Police and CIO Vehicles Loaded with Donations
Witnesses reported that two open police trucks and a vehicle belonging to the CIO left the venue loaded with mealie meal and rice. Some police officers, who remained behind, also lined up for additional supplies.
Masvingo Permanent Secretary, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa, who was responsible for overseeing the distribution, insisted that everything had been done fairly. However, he admitted that he did not keep track of who received what.
A concerned villager confirmed that donations meant for struggling communities ended up in the hands of government officials and ruling party elites.
“The process was transparent when the First Lady was distributing the donations. Chaos began after she left and Mugabe and several youth took over. What they did is wrong. They are tarnishing the First Lady’s name because of their looting. I’m sure they will be handing out the donations to their lieutenants,” said a concerned villager.