Mnangagwa says anti-graft crusade will spare no one

GONE are the days when senior Zanu-PF members would engage in corruption hiding behind their statuses, President Mnangagwa said yesterday as he called for free and fair elections in the ongoing party District Coordinating Committees (DCC) elections.

Speaking at the 345th session of the Politburo, President Mnangagwa urged the party to be wary of G40 machinations to destabilise the party through social media, saying such malcontents must be consigned to dustbins of history.

"Zanu-PF and this administration will never allow the party to be a haven of malcontents and criminals. I thus exhort party cadres and the citizenry at all levels in line with our national development agenda to be guarantors of a corruption-free Zimbabwe. Report all cases of corruption to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)," said President Mnangagwa.

Under President Mnangagwa's watch, several ministers and top Government officials have been arrested on corruption charges with two former cabinet ministers losing their jobs after being implicated in graft.

Going forward, President Mnangagwa said all members, across all party structures, must reflect on the party's unassailable revolutionary character upon which the Government continues to build the country towards Vision 2030 to be an upper middle class economy.

He said the entire leadership of the party from the cell to Politburo levels must shoulder the responsibility of accelerating the broad and inclusive empowerment processes for the people and also guard against G40 renegades.

"As exponents of our party and its ideology, we must be alive to the clandestine machinations of our detractors, the G40 cabal and their sympathisers. This consortium is using social media, among other means to launch an onslaught on our country and party. These nay-sayers must be doomed to the political abyss once and for all, and must never be allowed to succeed," emphasised President Mnangagwa.

The President said the DCCs that were reinstated in 2018 are meant to further strengthen Zanu-PF.

"Our party's constitution, rules, regulations, values and traditions must always be our cardinal political and moral compass.

"I reiterate that section 21, subsection 1-6 of the party constitution obligates members, inter-alia to be loyal, patriotic, and dispense themselves honourably in their dealings with the party and must never soil the name of the party," he said.

He also commended the organs of the party for their determination to advance the party aims and objectives.

"I urge them to continue mobilising our people to join and participate in the party's activities, with strict adherence to party principles rules, regulations and values," he said.

Turning to the DCC election process currently underway in the country's eight rural provinces, President Mnangagwa said the active participation of members and submissions of Curriculum Vitae to the DCC elections attests to the over-arching popularity of the ruling party.

"As such, the overwhelming response by prospective candidates shows that we are indeed a people's party. As DCC campaigns are underway, members must continue to conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

"Irregularities reported must be fairly and impartially addressed as guided by our party's constitution. Equally uncouth behaviour such as the imposition of candidates, vote buying and other electoral malpractices," he emphasised.

On preparations for the Sadc Anti-Sanctions Day on October 25, President Mnangagwa said Britain and the United States must unconditionally lift the illegal sanctions.

"The expression of solidarity by SADC member states to our country cannot be overemphasised. The Anti-Sanctions Day declared by SADC is upon us. We must therefore rally the nation on October 25, 2020, to call upon Britain and America to unconditionally lift the imposed illegal sanctions. I urge every party member to utilise available media platforms to call for the unconditional removal of these sanctions, indeed these sanctions must go''.

He applauded all progressive forces in the Diaspora who have joined the nation in echoing the call for the unconditional removal of the illegal sanctions that were imposed on the country by Western nations.

Despite the continued existence of unjust and unilateral sanctions, the President chronicled achievements of the Second Republic guided by the party's manifesto in the last few years.

"It is pleasing to note the resilience, determination and focus of companies investing, trading and doing business in our country. Two days ago, I had the privilege to tour companies in Southerton and Msasa where the manufacturing industry is making significant contributions towards our Gross Domestic Product and national exporter earnings."

With the advent of the rain season, the President urged the nation to accelerate land preparation.

"We all have the weighty responsibility to feed ourselves and the nation. All leadership must mobilise and organise people to implement the Presidential Climate Proofed-PFumvudza/Intwasa programme. Equally, the Government has rolled out a Presidential Horticulture Programme which opens up wealth creation and employment opportunities for our rural communities," said President Mnangagwa.

He called upon party members to be active participants in the implementation of projects and programmes being implemented at Government level.

President Mnangagwa urged senior party members to safeguard and promote the founding principles and ideology of the party towards sustaining peace, unity and development.