via Mujuru in the cold – Southern Eye by Nduduzo Tshuma 12 February 2014
THE ruling Zanu PF yesterday came out in support of the media for exposing the rot in State owned companies, leaving Vice-President Joice Mujuru a lone voice in her attempts to muzzle journalists.
Mujuru invited the ire of Zimbabweans on Monday after she was quoted by The Herald newspaper saying exposing corruption in parastatals and related companies by the media could be the work of detractors bent on destroying the government and stalling its programmes.
She accused unnamed whistleblowers of trying to destroy Zanu PF from within by exposing the deep seated corruption.
But Zanu PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, in a rare statement availed to all media houses and even posted on social media networks appeared to be distancing the party from Mujuru’s utterances.
Gumbo said Zanu PF had a zero tolerance on corruption and the stance “has most assiduously” been pronounced at party level by President Robert Mugabe, Mujuru and national chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo.
He also paid tribute to the State and private media for exposing corruption at State enterprises.
“This explains why for us corruption was an election issue and why, like the other issues that really matter to us, it was at the very heart of our election manifesto,” Gumbo said.
He said the Zanu PF conference in Chinhoyi last year had come up with a raft of resolutions, chief among them the need to adopt a zero tolerance approach to corruption.
“That resolution has since found expression in ZimAsset (Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation) and, along with every other issue in that blueprint, is currently being spearheaded by the office of the President and Cabinet. We believe that this is as it should be,” Gumbo said.
He commended the Office of the President for its role in the revelation of corrupt activities, specifically in respect of the obscene salaries awarded to executives of public parastatals and local authorities.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this unacceptable and selfish state of affairs and wish to urge the Office of the President to continue to act in the national interest,” the Zanu PF spokesman said.
“We would also like to thank the media, both public and private, for their concerted efforts in bringing this shameful situation to public light.”
Gumbo said Zanu PF would take decisive measures to eradicate corruption in all its forms.
“Those involved in corrupt activities must and will face the full wrath of the law and we are determined to make this a reality,” he said.
Gumbo urged all government ministries to act in the spirit of ZimAsset and in the national interest by carrying out extensive audits in their respective ministries “as we believe it will lead to public accountability and instil confidence in the use of public funds”.
He said Zanu PF believed that complex and intricate issues like corruption cannot be resolved in “a piecemeal, haphazard and simplistic manner”.
“The party needs a comprehensive plan and policy to deal with this menace,” he said.
“Everything must be done above board in an orderly, organised and systematic way to prevent possible accusation of a cover-up.”
Curiously, the statement did no make any reference to Mujuru’s utterances.
Meanwhile, Mujuru last night said she was wrongly quoted by the media and was not against the anti-corruption blitz.
Mujuru’s denial was reported on ZTV’s main news and is set to bring a new twist in the State media-led blitz against corruption.
She warned journalists against being used in internal fights and advised them to be professional.
COMMENTS
I listened to the audio recording, what does she mean when she says she was misquoted?
lying thieving hippo
You can fund treasury from all this corruption
It would’ve be better if she left. Just disappeared. We do not want her. She is a disgrace.
She the same woman whose hubby died in a mysterious fire? Kana kumboti bufu. Kubvunzawo kuti zvauya sei? Ajaira kutsvairira marara ese pasi pe carpet.
Is this Gumbo seriously expeting us to believe this statement? Well, it’s 34 years too late.
GUMBO you are a thieving liar. Nobody believes your drivel!
I watched her on tv achitaura. There is no misquoting, amai makapotsa if we are to call a spade a spade. You don’t come defending corruption, or say something that will be percieved as condoning corruption. That’s bad politics for you, and good politics for your opponents. Very few will forgive you. Just watch.
What was the president’s office’s role in the revelation of obscene salaries awarded to executives of public parastatals? when at the same time Didymas Matoto says the president was not aware of the obscene salaries?
IDOFO
They set up a trap for her, and she jumped straight into it. They did it to Tsvangirai with the money and the women, now they are doing it to each other. Matsotsi haagerane.
Fire the lot! It is time to say zvakwana! Zvakwana! and mean it! I am disgusted. More than disgusted! Who will stand up and take a righteous’ lead? I pray the Lord continues to reveal the whole rotten stinking morass that Zimbabwe has become under ZPF.
All what Gumbo is asking you guyz is: ‘Those who who been voting for Zanu-Pf since 1980 (i.e. for 34 yrs), please do so again in the next election, and wait for another 34 yrs fro Zanu pf to realize that corruption and looting is wrong for majority and the country and act against it’. A candid appeal to you loyal guyz, isn’t it?
Who has since been arraigned before the courts of law as yet? Every day, a new very heavy corruption case in unearthed and yet just today, a local paper reports that Cashbert Dube is vying for the Zifa presidency, and frankly he cant do that from prison, can he? What does Gumbo think the people are,idiots, neh? And I also hear that teachers are being forced to part with $ 2.00 to fund the godfather of corruptions birthday bash. Talk of real evil people, the true illuminatti.
Why does gumbo talk of policy formulation to combat corruption instead of just arresting e corrupt officials using e current laws? Dai vari veMDC vangadai vachimbotaura zvema policies to come or vanhu vangadai vakavharirwa kare