HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa is establishing a commission of inquiry to investigate corruption allegations made against certain individuals in Zanu PF, the government and the private sector.
A “name and shame” list of corrupt individuals released by the Zanu PF Youth League on Monday has triggered a flurry of lawsuits and threats to sue by some of the individuals implicated.
Zanu PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo did not clarify whether Mnangagwa’s commission is going to be internal to Zanu PF or would be state-funded.
He revealed that the Youth League had apologised after coming under fire during a Zanu PF politburo meeting over how it handled the allegations, made at a press conference, yet the Zanu PF politburo still thought the corruption claims required further investigation.
“The press statement by the Zanu PF national youth executive league on corruption allegations at a press conference on Monday was debated by politburo members extensively, centering mainly on corruption,” Khaya Moyo told reporters during a post-politburo briefing.
“Several members of the politburo made their observations and contributions. Whilst the Youth League may not have followed proper procedures in issuing their statement on Monday, there was urgent need to pronounce at all levels zero tolerance on corruption.
“This cancerous malady called corruption must be eradicated once and for all. Appropriate measures must be taken to clean the party and the nation at large on corruption. This, of course, includes government and the private sector.
“President Mnangagwa, in view of this development, will institute a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations presented by the Youth League. This was unanimously endorsed by the politburo.
“We did emphasise also that as a party we have a constitution and the Youth League must learn to follow procedure.”
Reserve Bank governor John Mangudya is demanding $1 million in defamation damages from Youth League deputy secretary Lewis Matutu after he was named on the corruption list. He says the corruption allegations against him are “wholly untrue and unsubstantiated.”
Henrietta Rushwaya, the president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, has demanded an “unqualified and complete retraction of the defamatory statements.”
Khaya Moyo said the Youth League told the politburo that it would be expanding its name and shame list.
Zanu PF’s secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, named in the shame list, attended the politburo meeting at the party headquarters – his first return to the building after the Youth League threatened to lock him out of his office until he had cleared his name.
