Mujuru attacks media for exposing corruption

via Nomalanga Moyo SW Radio Africa 10 February 2014 Mujuru attacks media for exposing corruption on Monday, February 10, 2014

ZANU PF deputy leader and acting Vice President, Joice Mujuru, says detractors are behind the on-going exposure by the media of salary scandals in state-linked institutions.

Mujuru was addressing a women’s conference at the weekend when she suggested that those leaking details about the corruption at parastatals are ZANU PF people bent on destroying the government and the party from within, theHerald reported Monday.

Mujuru accused these enemies within the party of sitting on projects and businesses that she said are crucial to the success of ZANU PF’s economic blueprint ZimAsset.

The acting president said the malpractices at these institutions should not be discussed in the media but should be handled by the Office of the President.

In an audio clip from the conference, Mujuru tells the women in Shona: “Iyi nyaya yatiri kutaura iyi yehuori hwemaparastatals muchenjere kuti ndeimwe nzira yaunzwa nevanhu vari kuda kupwanya nyika ino iyi.

“Vari kuziva kuti chii chakabata nyika yeZimbabwe. They know what is done by our parastatals. They will go and talk to some of our people and do what is happening.

“Vanotaura kuti kana tabva kuZBC, toenda kuZESA, toenda kuZINWA. Regai kuzoti vanhu vacho havasi veZANU PF aiwa, zvinonzi kana usingagone kumukurira unomujoina, worova uchibva mukati make, saka mochenjera. Saka tiri kuti nyaya iri mumaoko mehofisi yaPresident,” Mujuru said.

Following Mujuru’s remarks, which some observers said was an attempt to gag the media, the MDC-T has called on her to resign from her VP post for condoning corruption.

In a statement signed by MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora, the party said it is “extremely disgusted and outraged” by Mujuru’s suggestion that revelations in the press are the work of “detractors”.

Mwonzora added: “The ZANU PF government must resign over this corruption. Vice President Mujuru must resign for condoning corruption and she must be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the police to find out what motivated her to make these threatening utterances.”

“We call upon the people of Zimbabwe to stage a massive demonstration against this corruption. We demand to know what is going on in the diamond industry because that is exactly where a lot of corruption was done by ZANU PF and state officials.”

There are strong indications that the on-going exposés are part of the infighting within the ruling party, with claims that the anti-Mujuru faction, led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, is behind the leaks.

The Mujuru family is one of the richest and most corrupt in the country, with the Vice President and her late husband Solomon fingered in several scandals, including the looting at the Marange diamond fields.