Zanu PF Councillor Cypria Chiuta Accused of Discri...

Zanu PF Councillor Cypria Chiuta Accused of Discriminating Against Opposition Supporters

Zim Now Reporter

A Zanu PF councillor, Cypria Chiuta, of Ward 3 in Chirumhanzu South Constituency, has been accused of sidelining opposition supporters from accessing government social services and inputs. Several community members revealed to Zim Now that Chiuta has shown favouritism, excluding known opposition supporters from benefiting from government programs in both 2023 and 2024.

Residents allege that Chiuta actively removes opposition supporters from registration lines for such programs, stating that they are not welcome. Furthermore, they claim that opposition supporters are forced to publicly renounce their political affiliations and pledge allegiance to Zanu PF in order to qualify for assistance. As part of this coerced allegiance, individuals are allegedly required to burn their opposition party regalia in public.

Compounding the matter, it is reported that Chiuta’s son, Witness Chiuta, has been leveraging his father’s influence to intimidate community members. Witness is alleged to have threatened people, claiming that his father has the power to make dissenters "disappear" or suffer without any recourse to authorities.

When contacted for comment, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Chirumhanzu South Member of Parliament, Barbara Rwodzi, stated she was unaware of the allegations. "I’m not aware of that at all. Social service inputs are not distributed under the councillor’s purview but by the Government through district officers," Rwodzi said.

She added that her office would immediately follow up with the councillor and district social services officials to investigate the matter.

Farai Marapira, a Zanu PF official, emphasised that the party aligns with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stance that every Zimbabwean, regardless of political affiliation, should have equal access to social services and inputs. Marapira stated that the president’s policy is inclusive and should be upheld by all party members.

The allegations against Councillor Chiuta have sparked calls for further investigation to ensure fair distribution of government resources and uphold the principles of equity for all citizens.