Daggers out for Mashakada

RESIDENTS in Harare’s Waterfalls suburb are baying for their MP, Tapiwa Mashakada (pictured)’s head and want him recalled for being an absentee legislator.

The disgruntled residents, led by former radio personality, Musavengana Nyasha, said Mashakada has never been to Midlands, which is part of Hatfield constituency since his reelection in 2018.

Midlands covers part of Lord Malvern High School to Zindoga Shopping Centre.

The residents said their area has been neglected for too long and now has a cocktail of problems ranging from unattended potholes, erratic water supply and poor service delivery.

Mashakada is the legislator for Hatfield under which Waterfalls falls.

The former Economic Planning and Investment Promotion minister during the Government of National Unity from 2009 to 2013, angered the residents when he bluntly told Nyasha during a chat over the phone that if they feel he has failed as an MP, they have a constitutional right to remove him in the forthcoming elections.

He recently dumped MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa where he was the secretary for policy research and crossed the floor to join the Thokozani Khupeled MDC-T.

The MP further irked residents when he argued that there was no place called Midlands in his constituency.

Mashakada could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, MDC-T acting spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni confirmed receiving a report from Waterfalls residents complaining about Mashakada’s arrogance and said he forwarded it to his superiors.

“I can confirm we received a complaint from Waterfalls residents. I did forward it to the party. However, our weekly standing committee meeting couldn’t take place because on Wednesday, we were being sworn in in Parliament. Wednesday is our weekly meeting day,” Phugeni said.

Nyasha said he was disappointed by the way the matter was being handled.

“I am disappointed with the party’s attitude. Initially, I had thought that it was only their MP Mashakada who prioritised his own agenda ahead of that of the constituency he purportedly represents.

“Mashakada and clearly his party too, believe that we should wait for 2023 to remove him as our representative. We are saying 2023 is too far. I challenge the MP and his party to tell you the last time or times he met his constituents. I challenge them to list what he has actually done for that constituency since he became MP,” Nyasha added.