Hungry villagers overturn Chief's car

CHIVHU, January 6 2009 - Chief Musarurwa of Chivhu communal lands had his
vehicle overturned by angry villagers on new year's eve at Magamba shopping
centre, eighteen kilometres after Chivhu along the Buhera road, after he had
attempted to prevent World Food Programe officials from distributing food
aid.

The drama started after the arrival of WFP officers at the shopping centre,
where villagers had gathered to receive food aid, when some suspected Zanu
PF youths, clad in the party's regalia and led by the Zanu PF losing
councillor for the area, a Ms Mupfumi, sister to Manicaland businessman Isso
Mupfumi, arrived and disturbed the gathering.

The youths ordered WFP officers to stop distributing food aid, accusing them
of having bypassed protocol. They claimed that food aid was supposed to be
distributed by chief Musarurwa, whom they said was on his way to the
shopping centre.

In no time chief Musarurwa arrived in his pick up truck and orderd the WFP
officials to stop distributing food aid. Upon hearing that food aid
distribution had been stopped, villagers got angry and started shouting at
the chief and his team.

The villagers accused the chief of being corrupt and diverting donor aid and
distributing it along party lines. They indicated that before the WFP
intervened, the chief and his ZANU PF supporters used to source maize from
the nearby Grain Markerting Board and then sell it to the poor villagers.

Realising that the villagers were becoming more angry, Chief Musarurwa
rushed into his car and tried to drive away, but the vehicle was overturned
by the mob, forcing WFP officers to intervene.

The World Food Programme officials later explained to villagers that they
were only interested in giving out food aid and not in politics, before
postponing the distribution process to January 2.

On 2 January the food aid distribution went on smoothly, with villagers
receiving a 50Kg of maize, 5 litre of cooking oil and 5 kilogrammes of cow
peas per house hold.