Chief Nhema of Zaka, born Rangarirai Bwawanda, has reportedly barred ZANU PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson Clemence Chiduwa from several wards that fall under his area of jurisdiction.
Chiduwa, who is the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development, is not allowed to be in wards 20, 21, 26 and 31 that fall under his constituency and also under Chief Nhema’s area.
This comes after the two allegedly clashed over ZANU PF’s Central Committee nominees in Zaka.
TellZim News reported sources as saying Chiduwa backs Nyasha Gavaza whilst Nhema supports Davis Marapira who recently transferred from Masvingo to Zaka district.
Marapira is the sitting MP for Masvingo North but is said to be eyeing Zaka Central and is also the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
The traditional leader has reportedly ordered all party chairpersons in the aforementioned wards not to attend any meeting organized by Chiduwa or else they will face serious consequences.
However, Chief Nhema told the publication that he had not barred Chiduwa from his area adding that it was Chiduwa who was instructing the party chairpersons not to go to him. He said:
If anyone is saying I have banned Chiduwa from my area, he or she is lying. I have never instructed anyone from my area not to attend his programmes, it’s actually he who instructed the chairpersons from visiting me their Chief.
He said Chiduwa was the best person to explain why he was banning chairpersons from visiting him (Chief Nhema). Added the chief:
I don’t fear him and if there is anything I simply tell him man to man, he is my MP and I am a Chief with an area within his constituency so we have to work together for development.
I have not reached a point of banning him in my area as I did to Chakona (former Zaka Central MP Paradzai Chakona) at some point and if need be I can simply tell him that. I have talked to his constituency coordinator about the matter.
Chiduwa told TellZim News that he was not banned by the chief but the two had some issues which they deliberated and resolved. He said:
We had some disagreements over some issues but I think they have been resolved. I cannot say I was banned by Chief Nhema because if he does that, it would affect development.