MDC Alliance (MDC-A) president Nelson Chamisa was blocked from building a boarding school and a hospital in his village in Ward 23 in Chiwara by the Gutu Rural District Council.
The matter was debated during a full council meeting on Thursday and Gutu RDC chairperson Nicholas Zambara, a retired teacher, claimed that villagers in Chiwara had rejected the idea of the school and hospital.
Zambara was supported by Gutu acting District Development Coordinator Chiedza Tafirei who alleged that the villagers had told him that the school and hospital will take away a lot of their land.
This is despite the fact that Gutu South has just 10 secondary schools and one boarding (Mukaro High) and the majority of children in the constituency walk 17km to school every day, according to Masvingo Mirror.
The area also has no referral hospital and villagers hike 70km to Masvingo and the situation is exacerbated by the absence of ambulances.
Some councillors, however, chided Zambara for placing ZANU PF politics ahead of the welfare of the very same people he was elected to serve in council.
The fierce debate forced the matter to be taken back to the Road Works and Planning Committee before it comes back to full council at the next meeting.
Masvingo Mirror further reports that those who were against the idea of a new school were identified as Zambara, Chief Masanganise, Gutu South MP Yeukai Simbanegavi’s husband and Community Services head of department Thomas Muparamoto and Town Board appointed member Buster Mafio.
Meanwhile, Ward 34 Councilor Wickliff Matindike, Ward 33 Councilor Benard Chimwango, Mannie, Chief Chitsa and Chief Serima supported the approval of the project.