Spread corruption probe says Mugabe

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has said decisive action will be taken against all people convicted of corruption, adding that the anti-graft fight should be widened to include the private sector.

Zanu-PF's First Secretary said this at an extraordinary Politburo meeting of the party at its headquarters in Harare yesterday.

According to the state media, Zanu secretary for Information and Publicity, Rugare Gumbo, said soon after the meeting: "On the issue of 'salarygate' and corruption, the President was very strong on that. He identified that the first thing was to prevent corruption, and secondly to establish facts about corruption.

"He also said decisive action will be taken on the people who are found to have engaged in corruption. He also said corruption is not only in the public sector and parastatals but is also rampant in the private sector. The President said we should also look into it."

He said Zanu-PF's Politburo did not discuss any particular cases of alleged corruption but focused on graft in general and how it has affected ordinary people.

Three Air Zimbabwe executives have been arrested on fraud allegations that could have prejudiced the national airline millions of dollars.

Apart from the Air Zimbabwe issue investigations have also been instituted at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation after a number of irregularities were unearthed, including exorbitant salaries earned by top management.

Gumbo also said wrangling within Zanu-PF's Midlands provincial leadership was discussed, with the Politburo endorsing the executive list as submitted by Olivia Muchena, who presided over the elections last year.

"On the Midlands issue we agreed that the basket which was submitted by Minister Muchena should be the basis of the Midlands provincial executive," he said.

Jaison Machaya beat Larry Mavhima to the chairmanship in the election but the latter disputed the outcome and the inaugural executive meeting last month failed to take place after it degenerated into a fistfight.

This prompted the ruling party's Commissariat to intervene and dissolve the executive. Minister of State for Masvingo province, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti; Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister Dr Ignatius Chombo; and his Environment, Water and Climate Change counterpart Saviour Kasukuwere also briefed the Politburo on the Tokwe-Murkosi floods.

Dr Chombo said government had approached a number of foreign missions and United Nations agencies for assistance and had received food and medicines, with the Namibian government providing two helicopters to airlift affected families.

Kasukuwere briefed the Politburo on measures being taken to prevent flood waters from sweeping away the dam wall.