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Hundreds of workers at Hwange Colliery have gone for eighteen months without a salary
and now the company has given them notice to vacate company houses by 30 September
2015 for failing to pay rentals. Their children are no longer going to school because of lack of
school fees and can no longer access health services for lack of funds. The workers are now
divided into two groups on political lines as those who are members of Zanu PF are lobbying
their party to intervene on their behalf and saying non-members have to join Zanu PF if they
also want to be helped.
On 9 July in Hwange East, Simon Nkomazana aged 45 years of Zanu PF accused two residents
who have no known political affiliations of belonging to MDC-T and ordered them to buy
Zanu PF cards if they were to be included in future food aid schemes and development
programmes. The two promised to comply as their families were surviving on one meal per
day.
Matebeleland South
The province is ravaged by hunger and some politicians are exploiting people to join their political
parties, especially Zanu PF. Cases of discrimination and intimidation are therefore prevalent. In the
Matobo district where there are game parks and wildlife farms several Zanu PF and government
officials are reportedly targeting another takeover following the community’s successful resistance
of the invasion of Maleme Ranch three months ago.
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One of the plot owners in Matobo, who is a neighbor to Lushongwe Ranch owned by
Mr. Pieter Niewoudt reported that local Zanu PF MP Never Khanye is allegedly trying
to take over Lushongwe farm from Mr. Niewoudt. Previously the farm was gazetted
for resettlement but was removed from the list after it was disclosed that Pieter was
a member of the Zanu PF youth league. Now MP Khanye is targeting takeover of the
farm.
Midlands
The exercise to remove vendors from the streets and many undesignated points has been met with
resistance. In Midlands, all major towns such as Kwekwe, Gweru and Zvishavane are making frantic
efforts to have the vendors relocated.
The July 17 Supreme Court judgment on employment termination had its toll on industries in
Midlands with Bata Shoe Company in Gweru laying off more than 100 workers. Both MDC-T and the
Renewal Team have been conducting consultative meetings in Gweru with MDC T President Morgan
Tsvangirai having held one on 10 July at Midlands Hotel while MDC Renewal’s Tendai Biti was in
Gweru on 22 July.
· On 03 July Zanu PF members that included Councilors Simon Mucheza (Ward 5), Jane Marongwe
(Ward 1) and Michael Tupe approached cotton companies at Gokwe Centre and demanded that
all MDC T supporters must not be employed as seasonal workers.
FOOD AND OTHER FORMS OF AID VIOLATIONS
Bulawayo
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