NGOs bribing chiefs with US$100 to sabotage Zanu PF claims Mohadi

Former Vice President Kembo Mohadi has accused non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of bribing village chiefs in order to sabotage Zanu-PF and push for regime change.

Addressing traditional chiefs and headmen during a Kwekwe District Coordinating Committees (DCC) meeting last week, Mohadi who is still the Zanu-PF Vice President said NGOs numbering over 3,000 are working against Zanu-PF.

“I have been reliably informed that there are some traditional leaders in here who are receiving US$100 and airtime from the NGOs.

“We know that non-governmental organisations will come to you with freebies and their little US dollars to bribe you against President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa. We do not expect traditional leaders to be sell-outs,” he said.

Mohadi further accused NGOs of trying to capture traditional leaders through food aid.

“During the liberation struggle, did you know about NGOs? Were they present during the war? Was there no hunger at that time? So, why are they coming up now? We now have 3,000 NGOs in Zimbabwe, what is their job?”

“They come to you and give you mealie meal, cooking oil and freebies. After donating goodies to you they will ask what your government is doing concerning the situation. … they work on your brain to capture you,” Mohadi said.

He then announced new perks for traditional leaders as part of minimizing NGOs’ alleged influence.

“We are going to double your allowances with an additional US$50 incentive for each and every one of you.”

This comes at a time when Zanu-PF is pushing for the enactment into law of the controversial Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Bill that seeks to limit the operation of NGOs in Zimbabwe.

Last month, former European Union (EU) Ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen called on the government not to rush to sign the bill into a law before holding wider consultations with all stakeholders.

“We also had opportunities to address some topical issues that are on the legislative agenda. The PVO Bill which is now under deliberations in the Parliament. The EU has a number of concerns which this bill might mean in its current form if it is enacted into law. We had an exchange of views and on the bill,” said Olkkonen.