Editorial

It never rains but it pours for the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai's daughter Vimbai Tsvangirai Java. They say history never forgets.

In the just ended harmonised elections of July 30, 2018, Java was victorious as the Member of Parliament for Glenview South. Yes, Glenview South; now a household name for it being the epicenter of a severe cholera outbreak which has claimed twenty-five lives to date, may the souls of the deceased rest in eternal peace.

Walking down memory lane, Java was implicated in a tender scandal in the maintenance and treatment of the sewer plant in Harare. It was alleged that Java's company, Vistma Technologies, an Australian registered company was awarded a tender without following proper tender procedures by the Harare City Council.

With nepotism at the core of the awarding of the tender the MDC Harare councillors did little to find out the company’s history and experience in discharging its contractual agreement thus address the perennial sewer system challenges that have characterized the capital city since 2000 when MDC took over the running of the local authority.  

Having been awarded a multi-million dollar project, Java’s company failed to deliver as per expectations and Java thought it was water under the bridge but alas, it will always catch up with you.

Today, Java is the MP for Glenview South where it is all happening.

A week ago, Java toured the infected parts of her constituency as she wanted to assess the damage the outbreak had left in the Constituency. The media ran with the story, amplifying the then MP elect's visit as a great display of responsibility.

There is a Shona adage which goes “chinokanganwa idemo…” literally translated to say, it is only the axe that forgets but not the tree which was cut by that axe.

It is time for Government and local authorities to enforce the issue of public tenders and amplify scrutiny in matters that involve public funds and public welfare. A rude reality is that cholera is a disease associated with the poor and it is shameful in this century for a country such as Zimbabwe to be attacked by cholera.

We are in this mess because of people who are greedy. Yes, Java’s greediness is the reason why Zimbabwe is faced with this predicament. Java should come out clean and confess her sins because had she professionally carried out her job, Harare City Council would not be in this mess in this century, and we wouldn’t be talking of sewer plants not functioning well and polluting the water system.

Java should quit the self-righteous attitude she is assuming it’s not necessary. She is responsible for the mess and history never forgets. She thought she would remain in exile forever. I don’t know how it feels to know you are partly to blame as the death toll keeps rising, maybe Java should tell us.