KEY POINTS
- Kariba mayor backlash over Zanu PF meeting.
- CCC factions split as internal tensions grow.
- Leaked chats fuel rumors of mayor’s defection.
Kariba’s mayor, Ralph Nyasha Maoneyi, is under intense scrutiny after reports surfaced that he attended a Provincial Development Committee (PDC) meeting in Chinhoyi, a gathering featuring Zanu PF leaders, government officials, and mayors from Mashonaland West province.
The session reviewed provincial development plans but also included presentations of Zanu PF resolutions, a move that angered Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) loyalists in Kariba and sparked a storm of criticism in party circles.
Kariba mayor backlash over Zanu PF meeting
The allegations first emerged in a CCC WhatsApp group, where members accused Maoneyi of betraying party principles. Shortly after, the mayor was removed from the group without explanation.
Maoneyi did not deny attending the session but insisted internal issues should be handled privately.
“So I won’t say anything further about this,” he said briefly.
CCC factions clash over mayor’s loyalty
Defending Maoneyi, one CCC member accused local leadership of manufacturing the scandal for personal gain, claiming the district chair, George Masendu, was seeking to oust the mayor for control of council benefits.
“Devolution flows from a Zanu PF-led government. PDC is a development channel,” the member said, accusing Masendu of political scheming.
CCC constituency coordinator Simbarashe Sam Mutinha admitted the uproar but described most PDC meetings as legitimate government platforms, calling the drama “a waste of ratepayers’ money on false narratives.”
Leaked messages deepen divisions within CCC
However, tensions worsened after group messages labeling Maoneyi as “Zanu PF” circulated, with some members declaring he had abandoned CCC. Others urged restraint, insisting the mayor remained “innocent until proven guilty.”
Masendu, accused of plotting a comeback, denied harboring mayoral ambitions, dismissing the speculation as “pure drama.”
“We are waiting for guidance under Advocate Chamisa. Rumors are just that—rumors,” he said.
