By Own Correspondent
Disqualified aspiring Zanu PF Epworth legislator Kudakwashe Damson has been accused of working in cahoots with the ruling party’s Harare province vice chairperson Ephraim Fundukwa in tampering with the party’s cells in Churu constituency.
Fundukwa who initially lost heavily to Charles Matsika, a young turk was given a reprieve after the politburo decided to grant a rerun for the Churu seat.
However, there are reports emerging that Kudakwashe Damson and one Jasi from FAZ at the instigation of Fundukwa are tampering with party cells in the constituency to rig the impending rerun.
“Damson after being disqualified from Epworth constituency is at it again and this time working with Jasi from FAZ which is running the primaries,they are being used by Fundukwa to tamper with cell membership.
” Some people who are not from Churu are being put in these cells while genuine members have been threatened not to vote for Matsika,” an agitated Zanu PF member said.
“It will be unfortunate to have the rerun conducted under such an uneven playing field,” added the member.
It is not the first time, Damson has been caught in election manipulating. In 2018, he rigged the primaries leading to his rival Zalerie Makari to contest as an independent candidate. Owing to her popularity, Makari amassed more votes than Damson leading to the ruling party splitting votes gifting the opposition candidate Earthrage Kureva with the seat.
In last year’s by-election, Damson wanted to grab the seat again uncontested and it took the intervention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to pave way for Makari to be in the primary election race. She who won both the primary and the seat from opposition. This was despite that Damson sponsored an independent candidate to try to spoil the candidature of Makari.
This year, the controversial politician led some thugs to beat up ZEC officials who were conducting voter education during a voter registration blitz and was subsequently charged by the courts leading to his automatic disqualification as an MP candidate.
Efforts to get a comment from Kudakwashe Damson were fruitless as his phone number went unanswered.
