Bulawayo Deputy mayor Gift Banda, who stand accused of being a land baron in the city is allegedly begging Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere for ‘leniency’

Banda, a MDC-T Bulawayo provincial chairman is said to have engaged ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa ‘to talk to Kasukuwere’.

Banda, together with Chiyangwa’s campaign manager in the December Zifa election race, Eddie Chivero are said to have meet Chiyangwa in Harare on Wednesday.

“Banda is panicking, he is in a fix and now on a damage control drive.

“He  wants to use Chiyangwa as his emissary to Tyson to beg for leniency. His questionable deals especially land are now unearthed,” said a well placed source to Bulawayo24.com.

“He is itching to talk to Kasukuwere but he is exposing himself. Zanu-PF will have a field day with this.”

This comes as Kasukuwere recently dispatched a probe team from Harare to investigate Bulawayo City council over a string of shady land deals by councillor’s.

The crack team which gobbled close to $20 000 in allowances  spent two weeks in the city, sending jitters within the municipal corridors.

Speculation is rife that Kasukuwere will pkace the city under a commission to the run its affairs.

Source say its a perfect opportunity for Zanu PF to take control of the city by dissolving council and call for elections.

Council is currently under MDC-T which has a well documented stance of boycotting polls.

At the centre of the investigations was Banda, sources say.

Council official records show that Banda bought vast acres of land at Ascort Race Course ‘at a cheap price’.

That raised eyebrows with Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association  imploring Kasukuwere to investigate the city.

He also stand accused of a litany of shady council deals.

He is also linked to the multi-million Egodini Mall Project that is also under government probe.

Several councillors have acquired vast properties some on lease arrangement’s  ranging from car park spaces, shops, toilets and farms.

Efforts to get comments from the trio where fruitless this morning.by Mbuso Nxumalo