'Are universities and institutions of learning training thieves?' - Mugabe fumes

91-year-old President Robert Mugabe has said officials involved in corruption or caught abusing Government funds will not be spared jail, as they are depriving the country of huge benefits.

Mugabe said this at the 29th edition of the 21st February Movement which coincided with his 91st birthday celebrations in Victoria Falls on Saturday.

Mugabe said: "Isu tiri kuti basa riripo. Iyi migodhi iyi put yourselves together and Government will help you to get the equipment. We will do our best to help you get the necessary technology, but what do we get?

"You put people together even as they work in parastatals, they begin to steal. Ndozvavanongoda. Wovaisa pamwe chete even mumabanks avanoti vakaita, mari dzevanhu vavakuba.

"Are universities and institutions of learning training thieves?

"Kubira vanhu vavo. Maisa mari dzenyu mumabanks vanotora vakugovana. Iye zvino tiri kutambudzika, takabata vanosevenzera VaChinamasa (Minister of Finance). Chinamasa is struggling to mobilise finances for agriculture or resuscitate our factories."

He added: "The money is put in banks for distribution, but those under him create fraudulent companies behind Chinamasa's back. They then direct the government to transfer the money to those companies.

"Ava vekubank varikungoti tirikuita zvirikudiwa neministry. Uyu ndirector arikutiti transfer our money havarambe voisa mari ikoko. Yaenda mari ikoko vakunogovana. Ndovamwe vatakabata musiuno. Ndovamwe chete, ko vamwe vatisati tabata, baba iwe-e?

"So what kind of people should we appoint?

"A director in the Ministry of Finance who must exercise utmost honesty? If you are an accountant you are not taught those skills in order for you to go out and steal and if you are not honest, if you are a liar, then you are anti-revolutionary.

"You are just not a people's leader or even a good neighbour to the ordinary people. So what people are we if as we are given jobs we try to look for chances of cheating?

"If that job is one which makes you manage some money, finance, you must be absolutely honest."

The President said there were also indications that funds raised for the 2014 Zanu-PF youth and women's conferences had been abused.

"We are today saying the 'Gamatox' wanted to overthrow the President, wanted even to kill. You remember at the meeting of the youth they had not even prepared for it. They had not bought any food and now we discover that money that had been given towards Congress . . .where did it go?

"Those are some of the things that we are now discovering and once we discover that the money was misused, vanofira mujeri. You are not there to be cheating and cheating and cheating and even cheating at the highest level of the Politburo, vanoita divert funds."

President Mugabe said Zanu-PF's former Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa failed to answer satisfactorily when he questioned him over how funds for the youth and women's conferences were handled.

"Ndakati ndiratidzei mari, takaita committee imi (vaMutasa) makange muri mucommitee yefinance, organising for women's and youth conference and congress. What money did you get? 'Ahh handina kunyatsoziva bvunzai ngana nangana', but you were aware, our secretary for administration and for that matter not only secretary for administration but the person in the office of the President in charge of intelligence and security.

"Ndichivanzirwa zvakare ndichivakwa. Ndoyakave intelligence and security iyoyo? Zvino ndakati aiwa ndombozvionera."