The ruling ZANU PF party has suspended its losing candidate for the Bulawayo Central constituency, Tendai Charuka, and barred him from holding any position within the party or from representing himself as a member.

In a letter dated July 9th, 2024, ZANU PF’s Bulawayo deputy provincial chairman, Victor Mpofu, informed Charuka that his suspension was effective immediately. Wrote Mpofu:

You are being advised that at a leadership meeting composed of local Central Committee members held at Davis Hall on Sunday, June 23, 2024, it was resolved that you be suspended from the party.

Thus, you are no longer holding any position within ZANU PF with immediate effect, nor are you supposed to hold yourself as a member of ZANU PF during your suspension.

According to CITE, an unnamed source revealed that Tendai Charuka’s suspension from ZANU PF could be linked to his alleged involvement in the chaotic illegal vending activities at the 5th Avenue and Bhaktas vending sites within Bulawayo’s central business district.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, alleged that Charuka was part of a syndicate that was illegally parcelling out non-existent vending bays at these designated vending areas. Said the source:

There is a lady who is alleged to be working with Charuka who is misleading desperate people looking for vending bays.

We were told that this person was making people pay $34 for the bay and then advising them to get fingerprints done at the police station.

Such conduct is likely to cause problems when the vendors who were given these bays by the council come to commence their operations.

The victims are likely to lose their money. No one will be allocated any vending bays without following the proper channels of registering through the council.

The vending bays at the 5th Avenue and Bhaktas sites were officially allocated by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in June, and the vendors who were granted these designated vending spaces were advised to ensure they made all their required payments by the end of that month to commence their operations.

More: Pindula News