By Staff Reporter
A Zanu PF youth member in Manicaland died on Tuesday night while working for a company allegedly linked to the youth league at a timber plantation.
Musekiwa Dziwire was the operations manager for Manicaland Youth Development Company—a company being run by Stanley Sakupwanya—the Zanu PF provincial youth chair—died after being run over by a tractor.
According to sources, the company was formed to assist party youths with resources and won a contract to harvest timber on behalf of Allied Timbers in eight districts—but Sakupwanya privatized the entity.
“Dziwire was working as operations manager at MYDC which was supposed to be a Zanu PF youth company but Sakupwanya privatized it. He turned into his entity. He has not been buying safety equipment for those working at the company in the end people’s lives at put at risk,” said a source.
Another source added; “from the proceeds of the contracts, Sakupwanya has invested the money in purchasing a house for himself and a top of the range vehicle. Instead of acquiring machinery for use at the company like trucks, he invested all the proceeds into his lavish lifestyle”.
Sakupwanya is currently campaigning to be the MP on the Zanu PF youth quota for Manicaland and some youths allege that he is using some of the funds meant for young people to oil his campaign.
The youth league formed MYDC in 2022 to spearhead youth empowerment in eight districts namely, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Buhera, Mutasa, Mutare, Zimunya and Marange but Sakupwanya handpicked his cronies who include the now late Dziwire to share the proceeds from the company and failed to invest in equipment.
“He bought a house recently in Rusape using the money from the company yet the youths are suffering. The company was supposed to work for the youths but it was working for him (Sakupwanya and his cronies). The operations at the company are not safety complaint,” said a Zanu PF member.
When reached for a comment, Sakupwanya confirmed the death of Dziwire but denied that it was due to safety issues.
“Please don’t bring in politics in the death of a comrade,” said Sakupwanya.
