MASHONALAND Central Zanu PF provincial chairman Dickson Mafios on Saturday told the party’s presidium his provincial leadership was infested with “corrupt” officials and “sellouts” bent on sabotaging its empowerment programme.
MOSES MATENGA/EVERSON MUSHAVA
The presidium — which comprises of Mugabe, Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo — was attending Mugabe’s belated 89th birthday celebrations in Bindura.
In his speech, Mafios said Mugabe was a great leader who was being sabotaged by greedy officials working with the former colonial masters to discredit the party’s empowerment programme.
Mafios’ utterances came at a time the party is battling to fight allegations of corruption in the indigenisation transactions. Zanu PF is using the land reform and the indigenisation programmes to lure voters in the forthcoming polls later this year.
“President, our farms are the reason why we went to war, but there we are now clashing over the land you gave us,” Mafios said.
“Others are selling the farms while others are farming with whites. Those people should not have farms. A white man is a white man, there is no difference and should not be allowed on our farms.”
Mafios’ attacks on corrupt Zanu PF leaders is believed to be a tip of the iceberg in the party rocked by factional divisions.
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“Other members here are sellouts and have a British mentality. They fit party uniforms well and are good slogan chanters, but they side with the enemy,” Mafios added.
Addressing the same gathering, Mugabe called for party unity ahead of harmonised elections.
“If we want to win in the election, let’s remain united. We don’t want to lose seats in this province. We used to take pride in this province as a united province, but we saw some holes and said how can this be? We want to bank on you as our Number 1,” Mugabe said.
Mugabe warned corrupt Zanu PF officials playing the “white man’s shadow”, saying that would not be tolerated and those unable to utilise the land should surrender it.
