Sibanda has been in the province since last week where he addressed rallies and allegedly forced schools to close early so that he could “instruct” teachers, chiefs and headmen on what they needed to do to ensure a Zanu-PF victory.
In Hurungwe, Zvimba and Makonde districts, Sibanda allegedly threatened villagers that they would be evicted from the areas if they sup-ported MDC.
A villager who attended one of the meetings said traditional leaders were directed to teach their subjects to vote “wisely” or risk the unknown.
“Sibanda is telling supporters that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will never rule Zimbabwe even if he wins the next elections,” he said.
A businessman who owns a shop at Mudzimu business centre told The Standard he was force-marched to attend one of the meetings.
“No one is allowed to miss his meetings, even those aged 100 years have to attend,” said the businessman.
At Mudzimu business centre, Sibanda gave MDC-T supporters a one-week ultimatum to surrender their party’s membership cards or risk being chased from the area.
In Magunje, Sibanda met all Hurungwe chiefs and headmen and allegedly told them to report MDC activists to war veterans in the area.
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“We were told that we will go hungry if MDC-T wins as a new government will stop all the allowances we are getting,” said a headmen who requested anonymity.
He said the traditional leaders were then instructed to compile lists of all youths aged between 12 and 25 years and hand them over to their respective DCC chairmen.
A teacher in the area said Sibanda’s rallies were affecting school operations.
War veterans invited Sibanda
Mashonaland West Zanu PF chairman John Mafa confirmed Sibanda was campaigning for Mugabe, but said the party was not involved as war veterans operated independently.Mafa said Sibanda was not invited by the party but by war veterans in the province.
Sibanda yesterday said he was not yet campaigning for Mugabe as he was just meeting people in different provinces.
“This programme has been going on for the last two years. We have been to Manicaland and Masvingo meeting parents in order to enlighten them of their role in the party,” he said.
Last year, Sibanda was in Masvingo for several months where he was eventually allegedly kicked out by the provincial leadership who accused him of undermining the party in the province because of his unorthodox campaign methods.
