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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

ZANU-PF secretary for war veterans Cde Douglas Mahiya yesterday said Government officials accused of corruption should resign from their posts instead of using legal technicalities to clear their names yet their crimes are obvious.

Speaking during a meeting at the Bulawayo provincial war veterans’ offices at Emaplankeni in Entumbane suburb, Cde Mahiya said war veterans were fully behind the Zanu-PF Youth League’s stance against corruption.

His sentiments come after the arrest of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira for criminal abuse of office.

“I want to speak on corruption. The Youth League is speaking against corruption. Corruption is one of the things that led to us denouncing former President Mugabe. What is being done by the youths, they learnt it from the war veterans. We should speak against corruption. Some people will use legal technicalities due to the complexity of their cases to escape being jailed while it will be known that they stole money,” said Cde Mahiya. 

“Once your name has been fingered in corrupt activities when you are in Government, you should resign and if you are in the party, resign. There is nothing absolute with the law, some are able to evade the justice system through the legal technical routes. So if your name has been fingered in corruption allegations, do the honourable thing and resign.” He said in dealing with corruption, Government should target even those in the opposition as the scourge knows no party. 

Cde Mahiya said war veterans should also contribute towards turning around the country’s economic fortunes.

He said war veterans leaders will continue to lobby that their colleagues assume senior positions both in Zanu-PF and Government.

“That is part of the resolutions that we agreed on during the Central Committee meeting where we resolved to remove the former President. We agreed that former freedom fighters should take up senior positions both in Zanu-PF and Government. So that is what we expect to see,” Cde Mahiya said.

He said they want war veterans Bulawayo chairman Cde Cephas Ncube to be declared the Zanu-PF provincial chairman in the city at the end of the party’s restructuring exercise.

Zanu-PF dissolved party structures in Bulawayo and Harare pending the restructuring exercise.

Turning to the welfare of war veterans, Cde Mahiya said Government should also provide cushioning allowances to war veterans as their monthly allocations have been eroded by inflation.

He said he would also engage the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Cde Judith Ncube, to ensure that Government allocates housing land for former freedom fighters which they should pay for. – @nqotshili