by TZN Correspondent
POLICE Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri has been roped into the Zanu PF politics amid reports that he is pushing for the arrest of the controversial Mashonaland Central provincial affairs, Martin Dinha, in the bid to replace him as the minister, theZimbabweNewsLive can reveal.
This comes after Dinha is alleged to have played a role in the kidnapping of a Chinese national, Cheng Minglei, a former general manager of Tin Site private limited, a gold mine in Bindura.
Minglei was reported to have been kidnapped and force marched to China after an ownership row with a fellow Chinese national Yang Li.
Police recently issued a Wanted Persons Notice in the state media for Cheng Minglei but surprising Cheng has been spotted around in the presence of senior security officials.
Sources, however said, Chihuri, who owns Woodlands farm in Shamva, Mashonaland Central province, is pushing for the arrest of Dinha so that he may be appointed provincial minister since his contract was extended in August for another year.
“Chihuri has joined the Zanu PF fight and want Dinha nailed and included as one of the kidnappers to justify his arrest and loss of job,” said the source. “They want to pile more criminal charges on Dinha and blemish his record in the eyes of the First Family who have so far stood steadfast with him even if he faces criminal abuse of office and bribery allegations.”
Dinha has been instrumental in parcelling out land to the first family who evicted the poor resettled farmers from Manzou and also played a role in the forced closure of Mazowe Estate after he gave the Mugabes land owned by the estate. However he has since created many enemies in Zanu PF who are now vying for his seat.
Acting provincial chairperson, Dickson Mafios and Rushinga legislator Wonder Mashange are also being touted as potential successors to Dinha.
In an interview with this paper on Wednesday Dinha refuted kidnapping allegations.
“I am aware of the case because the mine happens to be in my province but I am not involved at all. This concerns two Chinese nationals fighting over ownership of the mine and it has nothing to do with us,” Dinha said. “It seems everything that happens in this province is being politicised and end up dragging my name into the issues which have nothing to do with me,” he said.
In July Dinha received an AK47 bullet parcel and a threatening message telling him to step down or risk suffering the same fatal fate that befell the late Zanu PF political commissar, Elliot Manyika, who died in a suspicious car accident in 2008.
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