Zanu PF youth league member calls for ZACC to probe Advocate Uriri after he refused to accept US$350,000 gift from Wicknell Chivayo

A Zanu-PF youth league member identifying himself as Cde Walle has called on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to investigate senior lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri after he reportedly declined a gift package worth about US$350,000 from businessman Wicknell Chivayo.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Cde Walle questioned why Uriri would turn down the offer, reportedly comprising a US$250,000 Range Rover Sport and benefits valued at about US$100,000.

Cde Walle repeatedly asked: “Why?”, arguing that the size of the proposed gift warranted public scrutiny.

He also urged ZACC to examine Uriri’s sources of wealth, businesses, investments and other financial interests.

However, Cde Walle did not allege that Uriri had committed a crime and acknowledged that rejecting a gift is not, in itself, a criminal offence.

The controversy follows Uriri’s reported decision to reject Chivayo’s offer on professional and ethical grounds, amid concerns that accepting such a substantial gift could compromise, or create a perception of compromising, his independence.

The matter has since sparked debate on social media, with questions being raised over the ethics surrounding large financial gifts to professionals.

Cde Walle maintains that his concerns should be investigated to establish the facts, while the allegations and questions contained in his Facebook post remain unproven unless supported by independent evidence. *_-Zimetro_*

2. *Roads suddenly fixed as Zanu PF prepares for Chinhoyi Conference*

Preparations for Zanu PF’s 23rd National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi have brought a fresh wave of road rehabilitation in Mashonaland West, raising questions over whether infrastructure is being prioritised because of the needs of communities or the demands of the ruling party’s major gathering.

The conference is scheduled for October 12 to 17 at Chinhoyi University of Technology, with provincial authorities insisting that preparations are on course.

Mashonaland West Minister Marian Chombo, who toured the venue on Thursday, said the province was ready to host the event.

“We are fully prepared to host the conference next month. I have inspected the site and most of the work has already been completed, except for minor outstanding issues,” Chombo said.

The timing of the roadworks has, however, drawn attention, particularly as key highways in the province are now receiving rehabilitation ahead of the conference.

Provincial Roads Engineer Simbarashe Gomo confirmed that work was underway on several major routes.

“We are working on the Harare-Chirundu highway, focusing on the shoulders. We are also rehabilitating the Golden Valley-Sanyati road and the Karoi-Binga highway. Our ultimate goal is to fully rehabilitate the Harare-Chirundu road and these two major events will leave lasting infrastructure in the province,” Gomo said.

The developments have fuelled criticism that infrastructure improvements are being accelerated when politically significant events require them, despite communities having long depended on the same roads for transport, business and access to essential services.

Chombo sought to present the conference as part of a broader government development programme, saying national events were being moved around the country.

“The Second Republic is taking national events to all provinces. The President, Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, has directed that we must focus on remote communities so that they benefit from legacy projects,” she said.

However, the preparations have also highlighted the political character of the gathering, with Mashonaland West provincial leadership having already prepared 26 resolutions ahead of the conference.

Among the resolutions are an endorsement of President Mnangagwa and a proposal to align the ZANU PF constitution with the national Constitution.

The conference is therefore expected to combine party business, political resolutions and preparations around the ruling party’s 2030 agenda, while the road rehabilitation has added another layer to the debate over the priorities attached to major Zanu PF events.

For critics, the developments raise a broader question: why must major infrastructure improvements receive such urgency when the ruling party needs to host a high-profile gathering? *_-ZimEye_*