President Mugabe is talking like a man from mars after he declared war on all thieves in his ruling Zanu PF party.
While pushing for the arrest and incarceration of all those found on the wrong side of the law, Mugabe has gone on record to say that all the stolen money that found its way to Zanu PF should be returned.
There is already an investigating following claims by Jonathan Moyo that he illegally diverted money from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund to Zanu-PF. A Politburo committee is already looking into the claims, and President Mugabe has made it clear that Zanu-PF should mobilise resources for its programmes and structures via legitimate means.
Asked to clarify the President’s position on officials claiming to be financing the party with public money, Presidential Press Secretary Mr George Charamba said his principal was clear on that he would not tolerate such activities – if indeed they were true.
“If it so happens that there is some money that found its way into structures and processes of the party, that money got there irregularly, and for that reason it must be repatriated to its lawful purse, ” he said.
Moyo has been accused of abusing his office to siphon hundreds of thousands of US dollars from Zimdef and anti-corruption authorities last week formally charged him on the allegations.
Critics view Mugabe’s actions against corruption as a means to buy votes in 2018.
Some see it as a bizarre and shocking u-turn that is too little-too late as corruption has been going on over the last 36 years and nothing has been done against offenders.