Councillors accused of vote-buying

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Harare Residents’ Trust director Mr Precious Shumba has accused some sitting MDC-T councillors of vote-buying and pocketing thousands of dollars from desperate home-seekers after promising to allocate them residential stands when they assumed office.

In a post on his Facebook wall, Mr Shumba urged MDC-T to be more transparent and accountable when it comes to their selection of council candidates.

“What we witnessed at several voting centres yesterday (Sunday) during the primary election revealed that indeed the powerful and those with money get the result that they want at the end of the day,” he said.

“Some of the sitting councillors pocketed thousands of dollars from desperate people claiming that they will process allocation of residential stands, while the daring went around buying and distributing cooking oil, sugar, and buying membership cards for their perceived supporters.”

He said he hoped corruption would not be allowed to prevail because once the people become councillors, they will not be stopped in their corrupt tendencies.

Mr Shumba said any system which allows thieves to prevail will not rid itself of corruption in the institution that they will serve, like the City of Harare.

“Some of the things observed are really scary. I was imagining a candidate who emerges after using these kinds of corrupt practices. Ultimately it is about power and money that will control the population. It is these foolish acts that impoverishes a nation.”

Responding to the post, Harare Mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni scoffed at Mr Shumba’s claims saying there was no wealth trend.

“From the results so far known to me there is no wealth-trend. I know one or two of the perceived rich councillors have sailed through but some of the normal ones also got back in,” he said.

“What I will take home from your thread is that the process may not be as credible in some of the ward primary elections.”

The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC-T party primary elections over the weekend were reportedly marred by organisational chaos also as incidents of violence resulting in the votes being called off in some constituencies.

Several candidates who lost in the elections accused the party leadership of electoral fraud and favouring certain individuals.

The internal polls have also been marred by poor turnout.