Tenants who support the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) are being evicted from shops owned by Zanu PF bigwigs in the sprawling district of Gutu, The Mirror can reveal.
Some of the reasons given for the evictions are that the tenants are allowing their party supporters to drink from the premises.
One of the shops where this has happened is located at Mvimvi Business Center in Ward 4 while two are at Mushayavanhu Business Centre in Gutu Central.
Political analysts expressed shock at the vindictiveness and intolerance displayed by top Zanu PF politicians in Gutu.
Senator Lovemore Matuke who is Zanu PF secretary for security and a Deputy Minister is one of those accused of kicking out his tenant.
Matuke exploded when phoned for a comment and called a Mirror reporter stupid.
“Who are you? Why are you asking about the issue? Do not be stupid, that issue has nothing to do with you,” said Matuke before he hung up.
Lillian Muradzikwa Zvichemo who runs a shop at Mushayavanhu confirmed in a telephone call that she was evicting a CCC supporter from her shop.
“You can come on May 30 or June 1, 2023 there will be a shop available if you are one of our party supporters. I have a CCC tenant that I am kicking out of my property this month’s end.
“This is not the time to associate with people who are not Zanu PF,” said Zvichemo to a Mirror reporter who called looking for a place to rent.
The tenants refused to comment for fear of victimization and begged The Mirror not to publish the story.
At Mvimvi, Farai Mafuratidze was evicted at the end of last year when CCC supporters on a campaign trail stopped and bought drinks from his shop.
A Zanu PF supporter in the area, Emma Chihambakwe reported the incident to the Ward 3 councillor who approached the owner of the shop and advised him to evict the tenant. The tenant has since moved to another place.
Efforts to get a comment from Chihambakwe were not successful.
In other news – Zimbabwean stand-up comedian Jonasi wins Boston Comedy Festival
US-based Zimbabwean stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi’s career received a massive boost after he was crowned the winner of the Boston Comedy Festival at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston on Saturday evening.
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