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George Maponga recently in MWENEZI
MDC-Alliance Mwenezi East parliamentary candidate and ex-Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Mr Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has come under fire from the majority of people in the constituency for his recent racist remarks about the Zanu-PF candidate for constituency, Cde Joosbi Omar.

Mr Bhasikiti, who also served as Mwenezi East legislator on a Zanu-PF ticket, torched a storm after he wrote on Twitter that Cde Omar was going to lose in the constituency because of his Indian roots.

The MDC Alliance aspiring Member of Parliament went on to defend his remarks, saying no-one was going to vote for Cde Omar in Mwenezi East because there were no Indians in the remote rural constituency.

“Contesting an Indian in rural Mwenezi no matter how much people are intimidated they will choose one of their own zvekuti kuZanu nyangwe ukaisa dhongi vanhu vanorivhotera zvakaenda nemwene wazvo,” wrote Mr Bhasikiti on his Twitter handle, courting the ire of some Twitter users who labelled him a racist.

His remarks also angered the people in Mwenezi East who last week staged a rally in solidarity with Cde Omar.
Speaking at the solidarity rally held at Tavamo Village in Neshuro, Mwenezi East, Zion Christian Church-Kumuka Kuvakafa leader Bishop Lyphet Matenda rapped Mr Bhasikiti for being intolerant.

Bishop Matenda said Cde Omar’s skin colour was immaterial, as long as he was a Zimbabwean.
“I will not waste most of my time reacting to remarks made by Mr Bhasikiti, but I just want to point out that the people of Mwenezi as a whole have already shown their preference for Cde Omar as evidenced by the votes he garnered in the Zanu-PF primary elections,” he said.

“Even the Bible says God is always where many people are, so we just need to ignore what Mr Bhasikiti said because his actions are not in sync with the aspirations of the people of Mwenezi East.”

Bishop Matenda said Mr Bhasikiti was only relevant to Mwenezi East before his expulsion from Zanu-PF and equated him to the biblical donkey that earned acclaim after Jesus entered Jerusalem on its back.

He said the people of Mwenezi East used to rally behind Mr Bhasikiti not because of his personal appeal, but because he was a messenger of Zanu-PF.

In her remarks, Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe national chair Mrs Ailine Mabhena said Mr Bhasikiti’s comments about Cde Omar were reckless and would not sway the people of Mwenezi East to vote for him.

“It is the black people of Mwenezi East who elected Cde Omar into Parliament in April last year and the same people showed their faith in him by helping him to win Zanu-PF primary elections,” she said.

“The will of the people of Mwenezi East should be allowed to prevail, the voice of the people is the voice of God and Cde Omar is the people’s choice whether he is Indian or what.”

Mr Bhasikiti’s relative, Cde Jacob Chuma, who is the Zanu-PF chair for Ward 6 in Mwenezi East, castigated the ex-Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister, describing him as a failed politician desperately clutching at straws in a futile bid to avoid sinking into political oblivion.

“He was a Member of Parliament for Mwenezi East for 12 years, but never did anything for the people,” he said.
“Cde Omar did a lot for us during the short period he served as Member of Parliament and we are very happy.
“We will continue to support him and will not be distracted by a failed politician who is directionless as evidenced by the many political homes he has been to after being fired from Zanu-PF.”

Zanu-PF Mwenezi East Ward 4 chair Cde Tobias Mahowa said the people of Mwenezi East will send a loud and clear message to Mr Bhasikiti come elections on July 30.

He blasted Mr Bhasikiti as a reckless and immature politician who was intolerant and forgot that Zimbabwe was a multi-racial society.

Cde Omar took over Mwenezi East in a by-election last year following the death of Zanu-PF legislator Cde Joshua Moyo in December 2016.