Staff Reporter
The electorate has castigated presidential hopeful and G40 kingpin, Saviour Kasukuwere for seeking democratic space which he closed during his days as ZANU PF bigwig.
In a series of interviews with this publication, citizens say they will not invest their votes in Kasukuwere whom they accuse of persecuting the opposition during his time as ZANU PF heavy weight.
“It’s too early for us to forget the horrible time that we were subjected to by this man (Kasukuwere). He played a pivotal role in closing the democratic space that he is now crying for. If ZANU PF was to maintain the culture of intolerance that he left in that party, Kasukuwere would not hold even a single campaign rally in Zimbabwe,” says X.
X revokes memories of threats that Kasukuwere always hurled at opposition members and dissenting voices from citizens in and outside ZANU PF.
“Remember the Mhondoro-Mubaira by-election in 2016 where this man threatened unspecified actions against villagers who entertained the idea of voting for opposition. He threatened that it was easy to know which area and who had voted for which party using the ward-based polling stations,” said X.
During a by-election held in 2016, Kasukuwere, the then ZANU PF Political Commissar, threatened villagers at a rally at Mubaira Growth point. He said, “Everyone will vote where he or she is registered at the ward-based polling station and we want to see the area that will kick the ball off target.
“We shall know how each area will have voted because votes will also be counted at polling stations. We shall know how the Marange apostles would have voted, the same applies to those who attend services for [Emmanueal] Makandiwa, [Walter] Magaya, Mugodhi, Salvation Army, even n`angas.
“Voters are counted at the polling station so we shall know whose Sabhuku`s [village head] or traditional chief`s people would have sold out,” he uttered.
Kasukuwere also threatened journalists from the State media who did not write positive stories about him.
In 2016, Kasukuwere attacked journalists with for what he termed negative coverage. He attacked the Herald reporters who included, editor Caesar Zvayi, senior reporters, Tendai Mugabe and Felix Share.
The attack on journalists irked media organizations which also lambasted Kasukuwere saying his thuggish behavior was bereft of the honour and dignity expected of a senior Government and ruling party official. t
In a statement, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists said, “ZUJ is deeply concerned by abuses reportedly made by ZANU PF political commissar and Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Saviour Kasukuwere, targeting journalists working for the Herald.”
Kasukuwere verbally abused The Herald`s journalists after complaining over the coverage that he received going to the extent of calling senior reporter, Share, “a son of a b****h.”
Political analysts continue to condemn Kasukuwere for his past deeds. The filthy background of the former Zanu PF Political Commissar is likely to dent his presidential bid.
