Tension grips Mutare ahead of Mugabe birthday

MUTARE – A tense atmosphere has gripped Mutare ahead of President Robert Mugabe’s birthday bash this weekend with vendors being barred from trading near Sakubva Stadium, venue of the event.

For the past few days council employees have been working 24 hours a day, sprucing up the city in preparation for the million-dollar party which is celebrated every February.

Besides the tension between municipal authorities and hundreds of vendors, Mutare is a stronghold of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC and their supporters are reportedly not happy that Mugabe will celebrate his 88th birthday in their fortress.

The traders were told not to get anywhere near Sakubva Stadium until Monday.

The vast swathe of open land traders normally call their workplace has been cleared of the eyesores that had become a permanent feature of the place over the years as the city prepares to lay the red carpet for Mugabe.

Around Sakubva Stadium, gravel is being laid to cover huge potholes and smelly parts of the area from rotten produce normally sold around the area.

“We have been told not to come here Friday (today) and Saturday (tomorrow) as there are preparations for the President’s birthday celebrations,” said Kenneth Muchero a fresh produce vendor from Honde Valley.

While there has not been any official figures on the budget for the event, sources told the Daily News that it might hit one million dollars.

More than a dozen beasts will be slaughtered for the annual feast which starts with a traditional cake cutting ceremony by Mugabe who is expected to be flanked his wife Grace and family.

Zanu PF deputy secretary for information and publicity for Manicaland province Charles Samuriwo would not say why the traders were moved nor give an idea of how much money was being spent for the birthday bash.

Samuriwo only said Zanu PF members and other well-wishers had “sufficiently” donated in cash and kind to ensure the event would be a success.

“We do not have figures but what I can assure you is that we have received donations in cash and kind to an extent that the celebrations would be a big success,” said Samuriwo.

The celebrations will be capped by a soccer match, beauty pageant, launch of the Gushungo fashion label and a music gala. “People are going to be fed that no one will go back home on an empty stomach,” Samuriwo added.

He said they were expecting a bumper crow because currently we are busy working hard to guard against the spread of the outbreak to other towns, and if Unicef goes, we will have to work extra hard,” Chakabuda said.

Currently, more than 2 000 cases of typhoid have been reported countrywide and at least two deaths have so far been recorded as a result of the local authorities’ inability to provide services to residents.

Addressing councillors in Chitungwiza this week, local government minister Ignatius Chombo said water provision remained top of his ministry’s priority and urged all local authorities to find ways of providing portable water facilities as an alternative.

But Chakabuda says it is a national crisis which needs a national solution.

“Only if government and other stakeholders paid their dues to local authorities, we would not be worried. We should be doing our things on our own,” said Chakabuda who is also Masvingo mayor.

“All local authorities are owed huge sums of money by both government and individuals. It should be the duty of the minister to advocate for that, we hope the situation won’t get out of hand. If it means that all other agendas be suspended for water provision, let it be so,” he added.

According to Chakabuda, Harare alone requires at least $3 million per month for water purification although its income is below $10 million before $8 million is deducted for wages. Harare is, however owed over $100 million in unpaid water bills by both government and individuals. d at Sakubva Stadium to celebrate Mugabe birthday.

Meanwhile, Mutare City Council workers have been placed on a 24-hour work schedule to ensure that the city is clean ahead of the 21st February Movement celebrations as the occasion of Mugabe’s birthday is normally referred to as.

Several city workers could be seen working the pot-holed roads, repainting the tarmac lines, slashing grass and pruning flowers in the eastern border city.

“We have been working 24 hours beginning this week as work is behind schedule. We should have been through with most of the work like pruning and painting of the roads and road signs but all has not been well coordinated,” said a council employee who preferred anonymity because he has no authority to speak to the media.

“At the moment, we are working flat out to ensure the area around Sakubva Stadium is clean and that there is adequate parking space for the officials and other guests,” said the employee.

“We have also been busy repairing dysfunctional toilets in and around the stadium,” he said. Daily News