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Dydimus Mutasa

Flaunting political muscles that don’t actually exist when the time of reckoning comes, a few Zanu-PF cadres have run roughshod over the law and other people, often with no consequences.

Fearing reprisals that frequently come on those who try to resist, many have been cowed. We have had reports of and actually witnessed some Zanu-PF leaders at various levels demanding money in the name of the party, or some senior leader for purported party programmes. Furthermore, it has been reported that some named cadres ran a vigilante group in Harare. For some time, the gang extorted money from public transporters in the capital, claiming that they had the blessings of the revolutionary party, yet their illicit daily takings were being used to enrich one or two leaders.

During his heydays, former secretary of administration and minister, Didymus Mutasa is said to have run Manicaland province with an iron hand and abused his offices for personal enrichment.

More recently, former Harare Zanu-PF Youth League chairman, Godwin Gomwe allegedly abused the name of the First Lady, Cde Grace Mugabe to fleece desperate home seekers in Harare of $46,000. Gomwe was arrested late last month and is in remand prison. Former minister and party provincial chairman for Harare, Amos Midzi is said to have committed suicide a few weeks ago after he had heard that police were after him over crimes he allegedly committed while he was still in office.

But as President Robert Mugabe said at the weekend, the era of impunity is over.

“There are some among us who are corrupt,” he said while officially opening a meeting of the national assembly of the youth league on Saturday. “Corruption isn’t just in Zimbabwe, but in Africa. Everywhere, there is corruption, corruption, corruption. We’ve subscriptions, they’re meant to come to the party and not to be shared among some people. No. The positions you’ve been given are because of the confidence of the people. You have not been given (the positions) to abuse them, to benefit yourself.

“Don’t go and say there’s a fund that has been created by (Vice-President Emmerson) Mnangagwa and everyone should contribute $5 yet Mnangagwa never said that; to say the President and First Lady want money. You spoil your name and in the process spoil the name of the party.

“The thuggery you have been doing, you have not been sent by anyone. Some leaders claim the President has said this piece of land should be given to so and so. We know what is happening. No, no, no.”

“We want you to be good leaders, honest leaders. Don’t take advantage of the people. Don’t use the names of the leaders to cheat the people and rob them of their property. This is what the President has sent us to do, all of which is lies. One of you (in apparent reference to Gomwe) was arrested because of that. We wish him well. He has learnt a lesson.”

The most unfortunate point is that these crimes are committed by a minority and happen without the knowledge of the top leadership of the party and the government, particularly President Mugabe himself. The crimes soil the image of the party among those who are abused and robbed. It gives the party a bad name and sometimes results in it losing support.

The President spoke on Saturday but this is not the first time that he has castigated some in the party for corruption and abuse of the party name for personal gain.

However, some don’t seem to listen.

We urge the party to do more to educate its members to be more disciplined, shun corruption so as to promote its image. The party needs to have its ears on the ground and keep its eyes wide open always to detect indiscretions from some of its own and get them disciplined internally and hand them over to police.

In a few cases even police have been intimidated into turning a blind eye to criminal activity by some malcontents. However, we must say that police have no one to fear because the centre of power, the President, has once again come out clear condemning corruption and declaring that anyone engaging in the vice is not acting on behalf of the party, but doing so for their own personal aggrandisement. Such people must be arrested. When they are brought to book there would not be any reprisals against law enforcement agents who must be emboldened by the fact that the President does not tolerate criminality even from his own party.

We want more examples to be set, other than Gomwe’s for the message to really echo across the Zanu-PF rank and file that if they commit crime and abuse the name of the party they would be arrested and prosecuted without fear or favour. The public will see that the ruling party is a party of integrity, which it actually is. This will improve the public image of Zanu-PF and enhance its popularity in a broader sense, not having a minority soiling its name for personal gain.