MDC councillors in Zibagwe Rural District Council Friday walked out of a full council meeting following heated exchanges with their Zanu PF counterparts over council’s prioritisation of a road leading to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s farm.
Things came to a head when one of the Zanu PF councillors labelled the opposition councillors as “nonsense”.
ZINARA has given Zibagwe Rural District Council approval to rehabilitate the road leading to the farm of the country’s first citizen.
MDC Councillor Willard Moyo asked Zibagwe Council chairperson Chamugwa Zvishamira on why priority was always being given to the road leading to the President’s Kwekwe farm.
Elderman Moyo further indicated that other roads in Silobela had turned into death traps and were also in urgent need for rehabilitation.
“Mr Chairman Sir, why is it that every time this council wants to fix roads, the first road to be prepared is Sherwood, when other roads like Silobela road are death traps.
“Is it that Zibagwe rural district council is for Sherwood only? Let’s also focus on other roads not one road always,” Moyo said.
This however did not go down well with Zanu PF councillors with Councillor Shindi defending the move.
“The councillor (Moyo) is talking nonsense. That road is given priority because it is going to the President’s farm,” Councillor Shindi said.
Zvishamira however played down the issue and said the Sherwood road was being rehabilitated because it was leading to a Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority sub-station.
Feeling insulted, MDC councillors decided to walk out of the of council meeting.
MDC only has five councillors against a total of 33 within the rural authority.
According to a council report, the road has been approved for rehabilitation.
“Mr Chairperson, we wish to report that our application to rehabilitate Sherwood siding road was approved by ZINARA. Their technicians came for preliminary inspection of the road. We now need to carry out a survey together with the Department of Roads so as to come up with the bills of quantities.
“We also wish to report that our annual allocation was reviewed up from ZW$1,2 million to ZW$1,815 million. ZINARA has advised us to concentrate of routine maintenance works this year,” read the council’s report.
