THE threat by President Robert Mugabe last Friday that he would fire Cabinet ministers implicated in corrupt activities has reportedly sent some party bigwigs into panic mode.
Report by Nduduzo Tshuma
Several party officials told NewsDay yesterday they feared Mugabe was now determined to sacrifice and expose a few top officials in a bid to boost his party’s battered image ahead of elections expected early next year.
On Friday, Mugabe said former South African president Thabo Mbeki had confided in him that Zanu PF ministers were demanding bribes from potential South African investors in his name.
Several Zanu PF officials told NewsDay that ministers were shaken by Mugabe’s stance and now felt insecure, given that his language was unusually direct, indicating the seriousness of his threat.
“There is a fear that this time he may act given his name has been dragged in the mud and also considering that we are heading for a crucial election,” said a senior official.
“There is a real possibility that someone may be sacrificed or used as an example.”
When Mugabe made the threat at the party conference in Gweru, some Zanu PF ministers were seen fidgeting uncomfortably.
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In the two-hour-long address, Mugabe uncharacteristically railed against corruption, citing the country’s revenue collecting authorities and the police force.
“This time the President might act,” another official said. “Heads are also expected to roll within the police force.”
In the run-up to the Gweru conference, Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo repeatedly called on party officials to shun corruption and factionalism, saying the two tendencies had seriously dented the party’s image.
Zanu PF women’s and youth leagues chairpersons also spoke out against graft by senior party officials, a development viewed as a choreographed move to put pressure on Mugabe to axe known and perceived corrupt leaders within the party’s ranks.
On Saturday, women’s league boss Oppah Muchinguri reiterated Mugabe’s concerns against police officers at border posts and along highways.
