Mugabe blasts Didymus Mutasa

President Robert Mugabe on Friday unleashed uncontrolled attack on party top brass, targeting the finance department headed by Didymus Mutasa, saying they failed to properly organise the ongoing youth conference, investing a lot of time  strategising on how to attain political power.

Mugabe, opening the conference in Harare, said those tasked to source funds for the indaba had disappointed him and should not be surprised when they fall by way side at the December elective congress.

Mutasa is the secretary for administration and also acting secretary for finance – a position that empowers him to source funds for the party activities.

"I am seeing all that is happening, but when it comes to congress, don't cry," he said, adding that: "I cannot have a central committee or even a politburo which is inept. No! Some of us have come a long way, we know what we were doing all the time."

According to Mugabe, the finance department failed to organise even transport to ferry delegates to the congress, with those who arrived Thursday evening having slept on empty stomachs as there was no food.

"People are just concentrating on power . . . zvimisangano zvisina nenhingi (consentrating on useless meetings)," he said, sending thousands of youths chanting "It's sabotage".

Mugabe said party leaders were busy strategising on how to attain power: "But where does the power come from? It comes from these people."

Mutasa has declared his intention to contest the party chairmanship at the coming congress, a seat usually reserved for former PF Zapu members.

Currently, the post is held by Simon Khaya Moyo, who is hugely tipped to be elevated to the post of second vice-president.

Mugabe, together with his wife, Grace, had to deep into their pockets to fund the youth congress by donating tonnes of maize and more than 20 beasts to feed the hungry delegates.

"Anyway, that is a talk . . . we shall look at the matter ourselves as leaders," Mugabe said.

Failure to organise the congress properly, according to Mugabe, contributed to the late start of the programme as he had to hold crisis meetings to solve the issue.

According to the circulated programme, Mugabe should have addressed the conference in the morning, but only took to the podium in the afternoon.

"So I would like to apologise for the inconveniences. I just don't want what has happened," he said.

"We will work together with Cde Sikhosana (Absolom) and create a committee to look into the conference welfare."

Mugabe said he was aware of private meetings that were being held by ambitious senior party officials.

"The clandestine meetings taking place, the activities going on in the party just now are filthy, dirty!" he said.

"You are destroying the party and some people pretend, they think we don't know what is happening."

Although he did not explicitly state that party funds could have been abused, Mugabe said he was shocked to learn that there was no money to fund party programmes.

"I will not accept an excuse of money, money for transport?  What about the subscriptions from the people, where are they going? Yes, we must be frank, I am not happy," he said.

"The whole of our central committee has been sitting to plan for this conference on the basis that the financial side of the party was right, those who are responsible to raise the money are doing so, only to be told that we don't have even a cent. What is happening in the party?

"I am also informed that the delegates did not eat since arrival. Are we failing to provide even food for the delegates?  What are we doing as members of the leadership?

"That is a situation which I was being briefed about before we came here, that there is no food for the delegates right now. I said to Mai Mugabe (Grace) that we have maize, let them go and collect so that they may be food than being told that there is no food at all. We also agreed to give cattle for meat. Surely, are you telling me that within the party, we have failed to give and support the conference, it doesn't matter whether they are 20 or 30 mombes (cows), let them be slaughtered to feed the people. It's very painful."

The president added: "We will also provide milk for the conference, we said we are going to suspend delivering milk to the dairy so that we feed the people. It's very bad, we can never allow that in a party."

The youth conference is set to end today after elections to choose a new leadership.