- Matutu, Tsenenengamu suspended for failing to follow party procedure
- Pupurai Togarepi stripped off his youth league secretary but will remain central committee member
- Matutu, Togarepi thrown out of Zanu PF Politiburo
A FEW hours after opening the Zanu PF Politburo by remarking that “the fight against corruption would be intensified” President Emmerson Mnangagwa wielded the axe on party youth leaders Lewis Matutu and Godfrey Tsenengamu for failing to follow party processes.
The pair re-ignited the fight against corruption on Monday but have been thrown under the bus for not following party procedure.
Matutu and the wing’s commissar Tsenengamu were suspended from the ruling party for one year for failing to follow party procedure.
At the same time Zanu PF youth leader Pupurai Togarepi was stripped off his position as youth league secretary for failing to put his ducks in a row.
“I will not tolerate misguided and misdirected activism which threatens the party’s unity cohesion and singleness of purpose,” Mnangagwa is said to have told Zanu PF Politiburo members.
The hammer fell on Matutu and Tsenengamu after they held a press conference at the media centre on Monday where they took a dig at business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei and other top Zanu PF officials who they said had brought the country to its knees through corruption.
Matutu and Tsenengamu accused controversial businessman Tagwirei of being corrupt, quizzing how an individual is able to spread his influence across all influential sectors of the economy.
“These cartels are very powerful and connected, and not just to one political party.Whoever comes into power will leave them stealing (sic),” Tsenengamu said.
“He (Tagwirei) is leading some mining companies which are sponsoring the machete gangs as they rob gold from hardworking Zimbabweans,” Matutu alleged.
Tsenengamu also accused Tagwirei of manipulating Command Agriculture programmes to expand his Punjab car business empire.
“Tagwirei runs a car import company. He works with a guy called Brighton. When government requires 40 cars, he imports 100 and the rest come in duty free,” Tsenengamu said.
“If you go to Tagwirei’s car sales (company), he has top-of-the range vehicles he brought in under the corrupt Command Agriculture schemes. He has done this because leaders have allowed it,” Tsenengamu added.
Matutu also claimed Tagwirei was using people in government and parastatals to secure lucrative tenders and contracts.
