Deafening silence from ZANU PF Youth League over Auditor General’s report

The Auditor General has done a very good job exposing the rot , corruption and pure theft that exists in some state owned enterprises. The Auditor General and her team have done a very good job and we now await action from other arms of government. This action will require political will and a strong no nonsense attitude from the political powers that be.

It is interesting to note that the nation's new found anti corruption crusaders who are in the form of the ZANU PF Youth league are silent and have not commented on the report. The youth league is strategically placed to exert political pressure to ensure punitive action on wrong doers. The Secretary for the Youth league Pupurai Togarepi is the ruling party's Chief whip in parliament and one would expect him to be at the forefront of commenting and demanding action especially after the bold efforts of the youth league to call out the allegedly corrupt party officials. The youth league executive has a deputy minister and other influential individuals such as Lewis Matutu who should now take the baton from the Auditor General and ensure that state property is returned , accounted for and others get residential address at the country's 5 star resort for criminals (Chikurubi Maximum prison).

The Auditor General has given cause and evidence on which the youth league can now climb Mount Everest and shout from the top of their voices as anti corruption crusaders , alas they remain deathly quiet. Lewis Matutu and his flankers are no where to be seen. They were quick to give an unsolicited opinion on Tongai Muzenda, Tafadzwa Musarara, Henrietta Rushwaya among several others, with little or no evidence to back their claims. Here is a qualified professional and a constitutionally empowered entity of government that has come out with cold hard facts exposing corruption, yet youth league is very quiet on the issues raised by the Auditor General's report.

Could it be that some members of the youth league were beneficiaries to the rot at state owned enterprises ? Could they have contributed to the rot and pilfering of resources ?  Their silence really needs an explanation.

Aeroplanes disappear from the national airline and it's not enough to raise the anti corruption temperature of the youth league ? Should the nation question the sincerity of the ZANU PF youth league ? Should President E D Mnangagwa be concerned that the youth league has a factional agenda against certain individuals who are in the party and those associated to the party ? The President needs to look at the youth league and be wary of its moves. The youth league could be taken back to the Kudzai Chipanga days were they operated as a renegade entity which broke from all ranks and protocol to pursue factional agendas.

The silence by the youth league is interesting and begs the question : WAS THE YOUTH LEAGUE GENUINE OR WAS IT A FACTION AT WAR?

Corruption is not about political posturing , the success of this nation depends on how we handle corruption issues. We need strong political will on the fight against corruption. The political will must come from both sides of the political divide. The MDC Youth league must also come out and stand with the Auditor General and task their Members of Parliament to push for strong action on the report.

I challenge the entire ZANU PF youth league executive to put political pressure and ensure action is taken to restore sanity and excellence in our state owned enterprises. Prove yourselves and show us that it is not vendettas and agendas that you are pushing but genuinely seeking to build a corruption and rot free nation.

The Auditor General has released reports in the past and there has been a lack of political will to action the audit report. ZANU PF Youth league as a political power player it is your moment to shine and stand with the people of Zimbabwe. The youth league must lobby for punitive and corrective measures to cleanse all state owned enterprises and weed out all corrupt elements.

Hon. Minister J B Matiza has been leading by example and the Ministry of Transport and entities under it are slowly feeling the anti corruption broom sweeping through their streets. The youth league has enough political muscle and clout to call for decisive action on the auditor general's report.

Hopefully Pupurai Togarepi, Lewis Matutu, Tendai Chirau , Yeukai Simbanegavi and the whole executive will come to the party and prove that they are genuine anti corruption crusaders and not just pawns on a political chess board pushing an agenda on behalf of third parties.

I challenge the youth league to respond and throw their weight fully behind the Auditor General , her department and the work they are doing.

Nicholas Ncube is a researcher and blogger based in Ontario Canada