By Robbie Ncube
Zimbabwe (News of The South) – Land baron and business man Owen Sibanda who has been at loggerheads with Tsholotsho’s local traditional leadership and villagers after Zanu PF recently accepted his CV having expressed interest in becoming the Chairperson of the District Coordinators Committee (DCC) has already started campaigning across the District and also established his chosen team to work with.
This move has further angered the local traditional leadership who have since called for president HE Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and stop this ongoing undermining of their jurisdictions by a “power hungry land baron without people’s interests at heart”.
Surprisingly, Zanu PF has not yet opened the floor for people to start campaigning.
As of yesterday 23 September, Sibanda and his runners had visited the following wards across Tsholotsho 20, 5, 1, 14, 8, 3 and 9 where he is bribing people handing over food parcels to them.
Owen Sibanda’s chosen team
1.Chair Owen Sibanda
2.Vice. Tapson Sibanda
3.Secretary Melusi Ndebele
4.Finance.JabulaniNkomo
5.Commissariat Kossam Ndlovu
6.Security Mthetho Sikhosana
7.Transport Esau Siwela
8.Information Busi Lupahla
9.Legal Nqabutho Ngwenya
10.Indiginisation Patrick Nyoni
11.Production Jowart Sibanda
12.Health Onani Dube
13.Economic Jonathan Ndlovu.
14.Educàtion Pios Ncube
15.Gender Soneni Ngwenya
16.Disabled Takana Mathe
17.Land Gedion Ndlovu
18.Science Philip Mvundla
19.Business
20.Environment Lindiwe Mkhwananzi
21.Women Affairs Nontando Ncube
22.Youth Affairs Robert Rashirayi
23. Warvets Attalia Jubane.
According to our source some people picked by Sibanda in his team were not consulted by him and remains to be seen how their inclusion in the Sibanda team will sit with them as some are said to be opposed to his behaviour and ambitions to be a leader of the District.
Contacted for comment on his alliance with Sibanda Tsholotsho Rural District Council Chairperson, Esau Siwela rubbished and distanced himself from the slate.
“As Zanu PF we have rules that come from our National leaders. We were not told to create teams or campaign slates. We were only advised to submit our CVs if interested in some portfolios of which we did. Anyone campaigning and creating slates is underming the party protocols. I would like to state it clearly that I am not part of any team outside being a Zanu PF member which I follow its rules as led by iconic president Mnangagwa and his team at a national level. I am waiting for explanations on why my name is dragged into factional and unconstitutional things by some Cdes. I am very disappointed on why someone can soil my name without my consent. I am not part of any slate nor do I support anyone outside the President Mnangagwa and his team and not slates created to destabilise the party,” said a Siwela angrily.
It is alleged that Sibanda bribed the local Tsholotsho Senator Dube who is originally from Nkayi and Tsholotsho South MP Zenzo Sibanda who is originally from Mashonaland Central to help him have his CV sail through- a move that has left the community angry at the ruling party Zanu PF for accepting the CV of a “land baron”.
The fight between Sibanda, local traditional leadership and villagers began when Sibanda who had returned from South Africa grabbed land in Godzo village and council land in Tsholotsho Business Centre.
The villagers argue that Sibanda does not have the interests of the locals and Zanu PF at heart.
Upon from returning from South Africa, Sibanda was connived and unlawful allocated land to himself assisted by his close ally – a former ward 13 MDC T Councillor Clemence Ndlovu.
Recently Chief Conrad Magama said: “It is sad that Zanu PF recently accepted a CV of a land baron Sibanda who allocated himself land meant for communal occupation under my jurisdiction without the approval of local leadership in our ward 13.
“I recently met with all my village headmen and all local leadership; we agreed that we will never accept a land baron to politically preside over our jurisdiction. Our people have suffered a lot because of Mr Sibanda. Our people spent time in prison because of Mr Sibanda who has friends in the police that survive through his bribes.
“We have also engaged all Chiefs and traditional leaders across the entire Tsholotsho district about the matter and we all agree that we will never allow anyone who uses his money to bribe and steal our ancestral land,” he said.
A Chief from Tsholotsho North who refused to be named said we are seeking urgent help from the president HE Emmerson Mnangagwa regarding the issue of this man Sibanda who has started visiting our jurisdiction seeking our people’s support yet undermining our fellow Chiefs and traditional leadership in South.
“It is sad that we are seeing Sibanda running across our villages without our clearances. He is handing over food and money to our people and we don’t know why he is doing so. I am appealing to President Mnangagwa to intervene urgently. We were told that his boys who are running around with him were insulting Chief Magama and his village heads recently on social media. So now we are shocked on what he wants in our jurisdiction,” he said.
Chief Magama also called upon Zanu PF “to come and explain to us as traditional leadership on why they accepted the CV of Sibanda while they know that the man is always fighting the community that has shown loyalty to the party. It is high time Zanu PF tell us why they are tolerating such things.”
Working with former MDC ward 13, in 2018, Sibanda forcefully occupied and fenced about 30 hectares of land in Godzo Line of Ward 13 resulting in tension with the local Chief Conrad Magama.
When Sibanda occupied and put a fence around 30 hectares of land in Godzo line both the Chief and the villagers were very angry as he did not have any legal documents permitting him to do that. This irritated the community, prompting them to burn and destroy the property.
Following this incident about 126 members were arrested until the Minister of Local Governance intervened. The matter was taken to the courts (case no HC3148/18/2018) and the ruling was in favour of the villagers.
Sibanda was served with an eviction notice in March 2019, but he disregarded the ruling and continued to occupy the land.
A senior Tsholotsho District member of Zanu who preferred to remain anonymous said: “Cde Sibanda is using links he is getting from our Senator Dube to push his agenda. People must understand that politics is about money. We know that Sibanda is using his money to control the Senator Dube to help him with links across the district. This is what is helping Sibanda otherwise he is not a popular person in our district. The leadership at national level must intervene to stop Sibanda and those he has bribed from collapsing Tsholotsho,” he said.
Recently, a local headman, Herman Ntuta was quoted into the media saying that a person who does not respect the community cannot be expected to lead the same.
“Personally I don’t want to be led by an individual such as Sibanda who does not care about laws or the welfare of the community. He will be of no use to us,” he said.
Zanu PF spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa said that the party is seeking good leadership for people across the country.
Meanwhile, the runners for Sibanda who are also in the current Tsholotsho District structures have been insulting Tsholotsho leadership local traditional leadership for standing on Sibanda’s way.
Screenshots from the group called TILBA (Tsholotsho International Business Association) show some people alleged to be ground runners for Sibanda telling Chiefs and local traditional leadership and villagers opposed to Sibanda to “f…off” as they are too rural and old to participate in politics.
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