BY KENNETH NYANGANI
The government has been accused of favouritism after spearheading the tarring of a road leading to the main shrine of the Johanne Marange apostolic sect in Manicaland.
At least 10km of the road in Mafararikwa has been tarred.
The developments followed the uproar that greeted an alleged Passover meeting by the sect that was allowed to go on despite it being in violation of measures to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Mutare West MP Teedzayi Muchimwe, a Zanu PF and senior member of the Johane Marange sect, said he was the one who lobbied for the tarring of the road.
“We applied for the rehabilitation of the road with the ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development targeting the Marange-Odzi road, and so far, we have rehabilitated the road from Marange Clinic to St Noah College,” Muchimwe said.
“We are targeting to rehabilitate the road to the Odzi area.
“Yes, there are concerns about roads in diamond areas, we are looking into it and very soon we are going to see some changes.”
Moses Mukwada, Bocha Diamond Community Trust chairman, said the government had shown favouritism by embarking on the road project.
“roads leading to the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company are yet to be tarred despite several companies mining in the area, but government chose the church for votes,” Mukwada said.
“I am surprised that government rushed to tar the road to St Noah College or to the shrine after that they just abandoned the project, this is clear favouritism.
“We have many areas where diamonds are coming from and the roads are in a bad shape and we are worried very much about that and they just chose to rehabilitate the roads leading to the shrine.
“As villagers, we are going to engage the relevant authorities over the matter and we might be forced to demonstrate.”
Zanu PF always courts the apostolic sects during elections because of their huge following in the country.
Meanwhile, Muchimwe dismissed allegations that the sect held its annual Passover meeting in violation of Covid-19 regulations.
He said police stopped some of the members, who had attempted to attend the gathering by mounting roadblocks on streets that lead to the shrine.
“We never had a gathering,” he said.
“I was at home. Police blocked some of our members, who had attempted to attend the gathering by mounting roadblocks on roads leading to the shrine.
“I think social media was behind the lies that said we had some people who gathered in Marange.”