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Nqobile Tshili/Esinathy Sibanda, Chronicle Reporters 

ZANU-PF has said it will institute disciplinary proceedings against rogue party members who extort money from members of the public using President Mnangagwa or the party’s name.

The announcement follows the arrest of four people, three of whom are alleged to have masqueraded as members of the Central Intelligence Organisation and allegedly used the President’s name to extort a mine owner.

The four have since been arrested and were yesterday granted bail at the Tredgold magistrate’s court in Bulawayo.

In an interview, Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo said the party was following the court case closely.

He said the matter borders on corruption which Government is fighting to uproot and the party will not tolerate it.

Cde Khaya-Moyo said once legal processes are complete, Zanu-PF will use its constitution to deal with the matter.

“We want to commend the police for arresting the culprits. We condemn that kind of behaviour and we applaud the police for taking action. We cannot allow criminals to abuse the First Family’s name. The law must always take its course,” he said.

“This is why I have been speaking hard on corruption. When you go around soliciting for donations using the First family or the President as it were, that is corruption. It puts the entire name of the party in disrepute. So these are very serious matters that must be dealt with severely. We will wait until the law has taken its course. But after that, the party’s constitution is very clear and we shall go with what the constitution says.”

Zanu-PF Youth League national deputy secretary Cde Lewis Matutu said the party’s youth wing was on a transformative trajectory hence it will not tolerate corruption from its members.

“Indiscipline, extortionist tendencies and unruly behaviour have no place in the Zanu-PF Youth League. We are busy transforming our organisation into a modern political organisation that is acceptable in our generation. We are actively participating in the economic recovery of our country guided by vision 2030 under the leadership of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa,” he said.

Cde Matutu said Youth League members should be the party’s ambassadors instead of soiling Zanu-PF’s name.

“Corruption and violence are things of the past. We should never allow ourselves to be drawn back into the old way of doing things. We condemn in the strongest terms such behaviour and those involved must stop forthwith. Our responsibility as young people is to promote and participate in production towards economic development because we have the energy,” he said.

-@nqotshili/ @esinathy_essira