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George Maponga

Masvingo Bureau

Chivi Central constituency in Masvingo Province is arguably one of the least developed areas despite its vast potential especially in the sphere of agriculture, with idle water bodies namely, Bindamombe Dam and Tugwi-Mukosi, Zimbabwe’s largest interior reservoir.

The constituency is one of the 26 in Masvingo that will be up for grabs on August 23 when the country votes to choose the President, National Assembly members and councils’ representatives.

In Chivi Central, Cde Exevia “Wezhaz’’ Maoneke has stolen the limelight as a pacesetter in the race to win the constituency on a Zanu PF ticket owing to his close connection with the grassroots folks who have warmly embraced his disposition to engender socio-economic development in line with President Mnangagwa’s philosophy, ‘Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo’.

Cde Maoneke (47) is vying to replace the outgoing ruling party parliamentarian for the constituency, Cde Ephraim Gwanongodza, who did not seek re-election and decided to back Cde “Wezhaz’’. 

This cleared the way for the unassuming and exuberant Cde Maoneke to be the shoo-in legislator for Chivi Central, if the public chemistry between him and the electorate is anything to go by.

The Chivi-born businessman and philanthropist, who has interests in real estate, car hiring and also runs Wezhaz Sports bar in Harare’s Warren Park suburb has developed a very solid bond with the Chivi Central community that he is confident of bagging the seat come August 23.

It was that calling to serve and save the land of his birth that saw Cde Maoneke taking time off his busy schedule as the proprietor of Executive Cars company in Milton Park and Mt Pleasant in Harare to seek a parliamentary seat representing Chivi Central.

He also owns a string of other properties in Harare suburbs of Warren Park, Westlea, Avondale, Mt Pleasant, Borrowdale, Glen Lorne and Emerald Hill and has also been on a property-buying spree in his home town of Masvingo where he says he wants to leave a lasting legacy in his place of birth.

The qualified commodity broker says he is willing to walk the journey towards Vision 2030 with his kinsmen in Chivi Central and pays homage to President Mnangagwa for his vision to create a prosperous and empowered society in sync with the “leaving no one and no place behind philosophy.”

He has visited virtually all wards in Chivi Central aboard a private helicopter getting acclamation from the local community for his ingenuity in promoting the brand Zanu PF and also motivating and inspiring youths in his rural home where he grew up herding cattle with other boys of his age.

Speaking at one of his campaign rallies at Tricosh Village under Chief Nemauzhe in Chivi Central recently, Cde Maoneke revelled in being one President Mnangagwa’s foot soldiers, describing the Zanu PF presidential candidate as a visionary leader, wholeheartedly committed to the upliftment of the lives of the majority.

Cde Maoneke says President Mnangagwa is a pragmatic leader who has set the development bar high through his visible footprints in various spheres that seek to leap frog the local economy into the middle income strata.

“I have come here (Tricosh Village in Nemauzhe) with one message which is to urge you to vote for President Mnangagwa in the August 23 elections so that he completes his mission of modernising the Zimbabwean economy. The President  is a pragmatic leader and everyone can see his foot-prints,be it in infrastructure development including building of roads and even in education and mining,” he told Zanu PF supporters who were resplendent in ruling party regalia as they cheered him on.

“In fields like education President Mnangagwa has even come up with education 5.0 which means our universities are now hot-spots of research and solutions to community problems. I am really begging you to vote for President Mnangagwa because his works are there for everyone to see so lets go out in our numbers and vote for him.”

Cde Maoneke told ruling party supporters at another rally at Chikofa village in Chivi Central that giving President Mnangagwa another mandate would ensure Zimbabwe quickly attains middle income society status.

He mocked the opposition CCC as a political party devoid of any meaningful programmes tailored to change people’s lives.

“To you young people, especially, don’t be swayed because the opposition has nothing to offer. When you meet opposition leaders tell them they are empty and have nothing to offer except mere talk on social media, ask them to show you where they have drilled a borehole just one borehole or built a dip-tank,” said Cde Maoneke.

The aspiring Chivi Central parliamentarian has initiated various developmental projects across Chivi Central that seeks to uplift the majority especially women and youths.

Cde Maoneke has supplied diesel to Chivi Rural district council to repair roads like the Maringire-Berejena Road for it to be trafficable.

At Tricosh Village, he financed the purchase of materials to drill and install two boreholes to ease water challenges for the community.

The aspiring legislator has also supplied roofing materials for a new block at Chamatutu and Zihwa primary schools, rehabilitated three boreholes and provided fencing for community gardens in the local communities. 

He rehabilitated the Mafuta-Chikofa road and built toilets for churches.

The aspiring Zanu PF parliamentarian bought cement for building Vindembe Clinic to boost health delivery.

An examination centre was built at Chishavakadzi school in ward 14 thanks to him.

In Ward 18, he rehabilitated a borehole and financed solar installation at Jaka-Chishozhowa Secondary School where he also funded construction of a science laboratory and purchased roofing material for the structure. 

He also used community support services to rehabilitate the road at Shokoni gardens in a boon for the local community which is angling to boost productivity thanks to agricultural show awards introduced by Cde Maoneke.

Gwametenga Road in Ward 19 was also rehabilitated by Cde Maoneke and he also supplied cement and 20 000 bricks to build a community hall in the ward as he took development to the Chivi Central rural heartland. 

In the same ward he also rehabilitated 3 boreholes and financed construction of four toilets to improve public health.

 A new ECD block was completed at Mupagamuri Primary school thanks to financial assistance from Cde Maoneke who also funded transportation of building materials for Run’ai Clinic.

In Ward 20, Cde Maoneke financed the purchase of roofing material at Chikore Primary School and rehabilitated two boreholes in the ward where he also drilled one borehole to supply clean water to the surrounding communities. 

A community court at headman Jaka-Chipindu area in the ward was also spruced up by benevolent aspiring MP.

At the fledgling Maringire business centre along the Masvingo-Beitbridge highway, Cde Maoneke financed the rehabilitation of the water system to ensure availability of water while a new boreholes were also drilled at the business and the nearby Ndlaya/Tricosh business centre.

In Ward 30, besides rehabilitating roads he funded drilling and installation of 2 boreholes in the ward where he also donated laptops, desk top and printers to a police base in the area that covers parts of Madyangove area. 

At Madyangove Primary School, the businessman donated 10 000 bricks and a tank to ensure smooth roll out of pending construction projects.

A revolving fund was set up to ensure women in Chivi Central had working capital for various projects which beneficiaries divided into groups of 10 each and receiving US$300 start-up capital. 

The beneficiaries were also assisted to secure transport to carry their products to the mark.

Each household in wards 11,12,14,15 and 20, received a 10kg packet of mealie-meal, 2kg white rice, half a bar green soap and a bath-soap, 2kg maize seed and an assortment of vegetable seeds from Cde Maoneke.

He financed the purchase of a brand new 10-horse power pump, with a five year guarantee and warranty, for Nyevedzanai Irrigation Scheme to boost food security.

Villagers who operate nutritional gardens were assisted with seedlings at Makotose Irrigation scheme in Ward 11, Baure Irrigation scheme in Ward 14 and Bandamombe Irrigation Scheme in Ward 18 to help achieve food security and boost household incomes of rural families.

More than 10 000 households across Chivi Central benefited from vegetable seeds donated by Cde Maoneke as he sought to ensure self-reliancy and boost disposable income in the constituency.

Zimsec-software compliant laptops were also donated by the aspiring legislator for Chitenderano,  Domboshava and Chishavakadzi Secondary schools in the constituency to boost the school pass rate.

The aspiring legislator has also earned plaudits for assisting more than 500 bereaved families across Chivi Central to bury their loved ones and to date more than 30 families have benefited from Cde Maoneke after bereavement.

Scores of destitute schoolchildren have also received school fees assistance from the philanthropist cum- politician while most schools in the constituency have also received soccer and netball balls to promote growth of sport and talent identification amongst youths who would also have no time to indulge in drugs.

Cde Maoneke’s dalliance with the Chivi folk started way back during the days of the Covid-19 pandemic when he chipped in towards the construction of an isolation centre at Chivi District Hospital.

“My vision for Chivi Central constituency is to help develop the area by assisting in the empowerment drive targeting mainly our young people so that they embark on income generating projects,” he said. 

“I am committed to working with the youths in Chivi Central so that they also play an active role in developing the economy in line with our President’s mantra that “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo’’.

Cde Maoneke also financed the repair and rehabilitation of more than 20 bridges in Chivi Central to improve road access for communities.

“I am a patriotic and hard-working Zimbabwean who has over the years demonstrated unwavering commitment to national and community development through people-centred empowerment projects as well as direct support to ongoing government initiatives as well as other ruling party operational needs and activities,’’ he says.

The aspiring legislator is a staunch backer of Zanu PF activities and programmes and has donated stationary and vehicle tyres to the ruling party in Chivi and the party as a whole in the province.

He also purchased a generator for back up power at the revolutionary party’s offices.

Cde Maoneke, on many occasions, donated food and refreshments during national events in Masvingo province such as the Heroes and Independence Day celebrations.

He passed 9 O’ Level subjects at Tambudzai Secondary School in Chivi Central and was one of the best O’ Level students at the school after setting a new record in 1994, a rare feat for someone attending a poor school in a rural heartland.

He then enrolled at Mt Pleasant High School for his Advanced levels.

He holds a Bsc degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Zimbabwe and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the same institution. 

He worked in the President’s Office at one time, but left in 2005 to pursue personal business.

Currently, he is the Zanu PF Masvingo provincial deputy secretary for Finance having started as Chivi’s Chitenderano district secretary for Finance in 2021. 

His reputation for philanthropy is nationally acclaimed with Cde Maoneke also having made donations not only to the Chivi district community and various charities in Harare, but he is also a benefactor of the renowned First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation where at one time he donated groceries worth more than US$10 000 after getting inspiration by the First Lady’s sterling work.

Cde Maoneke is married to Tracy Maoneke and the couple has four children, two boys and two girls. His first born is now studying for a Master’s degree at Portsmouth 0University in England.