By Everson Mushava
FORMER Zanu PF national youth commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu has vowed to continue with the anti-corruption fight, saying plans were at an advanced stage for the first ever anti-corruption conference slated for February 20 under the banner of Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Citizens Taskforce.
Tsenengamu made the disclosures after meeting Zanu PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda on Thursday following his suspension from the party together with former youth deputy secretary Lewis Matutu after accusing businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei (Sakunda Holdings), Billy Rautenbach (Green Fuel) and Tafadzwa Musarara (Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson) of being corrupt.
The meeting was seen as a move by Zanu PF to close bridges with the youths whose utterances continue to ruffle the feathers of the Zanu PF leadership.
But yesterday, Tsenengamu said the meeting with Matemadanda would not stop his fight against corruption, and he was mobilising for a conference against corruption on February 20.
“The commitment and resolve to fight corruption remains unshaken. With or without party positions, the fight continues,” he said.
“No amount of smear campaigns or counter-accusations will force us to back down. It will not work. A prosperous and corrupt-free Zimbabwe is not possible in our lifetime and neither backing down nor abandoning this fight against corruption and cartels is an option. “As such, we continue to organise for our inaugural conference planned for February 20 as we do so under the banner of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Citizens Taskforce. Finer details on the conference shall be given to all interested in due course.”
Tsenengamu disclosed that Matemadanda met them only to appreciate their side of the story since he was not in the politburo meeting that suspended them.
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He said Matemadanda promised to talk to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and they would be waiting for feedback, but in the meantime, the anti-corruption drive continued.
“Cde Matemadanda did not seek to silence us or force us into any arrangement as is being circulated on social media. Neither did he urge us to continue with our fight against corruption and cartels. The decision to fight corruption was and still remains personal and will not in any way involve any of our leaders,” he said.
“As committed card-carrying members of the party, we await feedback from his engagements with senior leaders of the party. Let it be on record that we are still cadres of the party as cardholders and shall continue to serve it and attend its programmes which are open to cardholders. However, with or without these developments in our party, the fight against corruption and cartels continues. Let no one be hoodwinked by any amount of propaganda that we have deserted the struggle.”
Meanwhile, the National Youth Services council, as an affiliate of Zanu PF, yesterday applauded Mnangagwa for suspending Tsenengamu, Matutu, and youth league boss Pupurai Togarepi, warning youths against being swayed by people fighting for “selfish” reasons.
Absalom Madusise, the council’s chair, said the suspensions were done to instil discipline in the youths who violated the party procedures and did not take heed of the warning given by the party last year when they named and shamed alleged corrupt individuals.
