ZANU PF has commandeered several State institutions to refurbish and carry major infrastructural developments at the venue of its annual conference at the Masvingo Agricultural Showgrounds ahead of the ruling party’s $4 million jamboree next week.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
NewsDay last week witnessed staff deployed by several government departments, including the Public Works ministry, sprucing up the conference site with earthmoving machinery busy clearing the grounds.
Zanu PF secretary for finance, Obert Mpofu, said he was unaware if the party had engaged State departments to do civil works at the site.
“I don’t know who engaged them. My duty is to look for money together with my team and pay for services rendered. If the said departments are being hired, I will see an instruction for me to pay them. Talk to (Zanu PF administration secretary Ignatius) Chombo on how the so-called government departments doing works at the conference site were engaged,” he said.
Chombo declined to comment on the matter and referred all questions to Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and his Transport ministry counterpart, Jorum Gumbo.
“My duty is to write party minutes and ensure the party is administered properly, talk to Tyson (Kasukuwere) and his friend the Minister for Transport. They will give you good information,” he said.
Kasukuwere and Gumbo were unavailable for comment yesterday.
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Insiders said the party was not paying any cent towards the conference’s civic works and all State institutions – the Department of Roads, Public Works and Health Services will do the works on order.
“No one will bill Zanu PF and you can’t bill it. Each department has to use its resources such as fuel, machinery and human resources even if you don’t want to,” an insider said.
Among the civil works underway at the site are road constructions, the conference site itself, as well as the conference structure for the delegates.
After the physical works, other State institutions such as TelOne, NetOne, ZarNet and health facilities will come in to provide logistical facilities and other amenities, insiders said.
“The telecommunications departments will have to provide internet connectivity for free to delegates, while the city (Masvingo City Council) will provide water for the conference for nothing. This is despite that most of these departments are failing to provide reliable services to their paying clients,” another government official said.
This came after Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo was recently arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for diverting over $400 000 from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund to fund Zanu PF activities.
At least 5 000 delegates are expected at the conference which runs between December 13 and 18.
