'It's criminal,' says Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe yesterday admitted that irregularities which have taken place in the ruling party's Youth League polls bordered on criminality and apologised for the shambolic organisation of the conference.

"I want to apologise for our blunders, there were many blunders in preparing for the youth conference, there were so many blunders, including criminal, in interfering with the rights of youths, to influence their voting," Mugabe said at the official opening of the Zanu-PF Women's League 6th conference.

He said there were electoral violations, and Zanu-PF needed to identify them, weed them out and make everything clear to everyone.

Kudzai Chipanga from Manicaland, and an alleged member of the Joice Mujuru camp, won the big post as deputy secretary for youths, earning himself a position in the politburo, beating Tongai Kasukuwere who was allegedly being backed by the rival Emmerson Mnangagwa camp.

Mugabe said he was counting on maximum control and monitoring of the Women's League vote.

Officials in the Mnangagwa faction refused to recognise the Youth League polls as legitimate, citing widespread allegations of vote buying. They also accused the Mujuru camp of carrying out a series of kidnappings but police claim no such abductions took place.

They said the election was "clearly skewed" in favour of Mujuru.

Mugabe accused senior officials in his party of using unacceptable means to interfere with the youth vote.

Discontentment spilled out after the Youth League polls as shown by widespread allegations of vote fraud.

Mugabe said after last weekend's polls claims of electoral irregularities would be investigated.

Speaking largely in Shona, Mugabe pleaded for forgiveness in the shambolic nature of the poll.

"Tiregererei isu vakuru pakuronga kwatakaita, hatina kubata zvakanaka musangano wevadiki weYouth League (Please, forgive us the elders for what we did, we did not conduct the elections well enough)," Mugabe admitted.

"Zvakazonyanya kukanganiswa ndezvekupindira kwatakaita, zvinonyadzisa varume vakuru vemuPolitburo tichida kuti vataida isu mumwoyo vasarudzwe. Paingova nenzvimbo mbiri benzi.

Dzimwe nguva dai takaregedza vana vachiita, vaigona kubuda ivo vataida tisina tsvina yese iyi.

(The worst was the interference. It is embarrassing that powerful men who sit in the politburo interfered with such activities in order to influence the youths. There were only two positions up for grabs, if we had left the youths to make their choices, perhaps our preferred candidates would have won, we would not have all this filth)," Mugabe said to rapturous applause.

He said it was unacceptable that officials failed to plan for the youth congress, held once every five years, yet senior officials pumped mega bucks into vote buying in order to influence the election outcome.

Ahead of the Women's League conference, Zanu-PF officials have jumped to make the requisite donations and appearing pleased with the handouts, Mugabe warned the women to be wary of manipulation and infiltration.

"Hatidi kupindira semapindiriro atakaita kuvana. Kana makapindirwa kare pachenyu, zvamakanzi itai, regedzai (We don't want interference like what happened in the Youth League vote.

If you have been instructed to vote for anyone, don't do it)," Mugabe said.