Mliswa Slams Chivayo Over Fortuner, US$50,000 “Bribe” For CCC MP Backing CAB3

Outspoken politician Temba Mliswa has accused Wicknell Chivayo of damaging the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 process after Chivayo offered a CCC proportional representation MP a new Toyota Fortuner and US$50,000 in cash for supporting the Bill.

The gift, a 2026 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 and the cash were given to Samantha Mureyani, the CCC PR MP for Manicaland, who has publicly backed CAB3.

Writing on social media, Mliswa said he found it necessary to “question the rationale behind the persistent interference in CAB3 affairs in such a manner.”

“Is this an issue of illiteracy on your part or something more profound?” he wrote, addressing Chivayo as “Moyo.”

Mliswa argued the inducements were unnecessary because ZANU-PF already commands a comfortable majority in Parliament.

“ZANU PF possesses a comfortable majority in Parliament, comprising 194 MPs, thus rendering these theatrical gimmicks superfluous and potentially damaging to the integrity of the legislative process,” he said.

“Even in the event that the opposition, numbering 86 MPs, unanimously votes against CAB3, ZANU PF remains capable of passing the Bill with relative ease, as a two-thirds majority merely requires 187 votes.”

He claimed a “segment of progressive MPs” already recognised the merits of CAB3, adding: “Who among them would decline an opportunity to extend their tenure in office without the burden of costly elections? It is thus evident that ongoing speeches by many opposition MPs in Parliament are mere rhetoric and drama.”

Mliswa said Chivayo’s agenda appeared to be about personal recognition as “the architect behind the Bill’s passage through incessant inducements.”

“That critical moment has passed, and your actions now serve only to tarnish what was once a promising endeavour,” he wrote. “The party has already done its homework and these extravagant incentives only undermine the legitimacy of the process.”

He described the introduction of “such bribes into a legitimate Parliamentary process” as “not only unwarranted but wholly unacceptable,” accusing Chivayo of a “continued deficiency in your decorum.”

“I admire your ability to make money but not how you handle it,” Mliswa added. “Financial matters within the political arena necessitate a degree of finesse and sophistication; otherwise, one risks appearing foolish.”

He warned that the “recklessness is a liability to the image of the Constitutional Amendment process and must stop,” invoking a familiar political adage: “accept the money if it is offered, yet when the critical moments arise, act in accordance with the people’s will.”

“Therefore, it is both intrusive and superfluous to persist with gratuitous gifts, which are increasingly becoming a blemish on an otherwise exemplary political endeavour. The gimmicks jeopardise our collective moral standing,” Mliswa said.

Chivayo, known for high-profile car giveaways to musicians, influencers and clergy, has in recent months extended the practice to politicians amid heated debate over CAB3 — the Bill that would scrap direct presidential elections and extend terms from five to seven years.