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Zanu-PF youths in Bulawayo hold placards yesterday denouncing suspended deputy mayor Gift Banda for continuing with construction work on ill-gotten land in Ascot

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
ZANU-PF youths in Bulawayo yesterday demonstrated against the city’s suspended deputy mayor Gift Banda for continuing with construction work on ill-gotten land in Ascot.

Councillor Banda and four others were suspended by the Government two weeks ago for alleged abuse of office.

He is alleged to have illegally acquired land at Ascot for the construction of town houses.

He also got a lease for land to construct a social club at Hume Park.

Yesterday, the youths marched to Clr Banda’s Ascot stand waving placards and singing songs denouncing him.

“We want everything happening here to stop.

Banda is a thief.

This is Bulawayo land. It should not be stolen by greedy people,” said one of the demonstrators.

Zanu-PF Youth League Bulawayo provincial political commissar Cde Boniface Mutsure said they will not stand aside and watch the looting of the city’s land.

He said they were surprised by Clr Banda’s defiance as he has continued construction work on the contested piece of land despite his suspension.

“Even after being suspended he is still proceeding with the construction. As residents of Bulawayo we’re tired of the MDC-T’s corruption. They’re parcelling out land among themselves and we want to see it ending,” he said.

Cde Mutsure said Clr Banda should wait until his case is heard by a tribunal before he can resume with his work.

Clr Banda arrived at the construction site about 30 minutes after the protest began and his employees seemed nervous.

The youths jeered him but he remained calm.

The youths started telling the employees to abandon work and left when police arrived.

Clr Banda told The Chronicle that the demonstrators were exercising their constitutional right but declined to comment on the abuse of office charges.

@nqotshili