ZANU-PF has said it is fully behind President Mnangagwa’s decision to fire former Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo from his post over corruption allegations, saying the party does not tolerate such ill practices.
Dr Moyo was relieved from his duties early this month for alleged criminal abuse of office charges for his role in a murky US$60 million deal with Drax International, a medical supplier. In a statement, acting Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Patrick Chinamasa said this was a stern warning to would-be offenders.
“The decision by His Excellency, the President should serve as a stern warning to all those cadres whom the party has deployed to Central Government, Local Authorities and Parastatals, that in their discharge of their functions, they should, like Caesar’s wife be beyond suspicion,” he said.
He said cadres must at all times know that any whiff of corruption will cost them dearly because the President declared that there will be no sacred cows when it comes to fighting corruption. Cde Chinamasa further said the catch and release syndrome was bringing the justice system into disrepute.
“Zanu-PF takes this opportunity to bring to the attention of those Law Enforcement agencies involved in the administration of Criminal Justice its concerns and those of the population. Expectations are that Law Enforcement Agencies should carry out thorough investigations to establish a prima facie case before arrests are effected as to do otherwise leads to the practice commonly referred to as ‘catch and release’, a situation which will put the administration of criminal justice into disrepute,” he warned.
The revolutionary party said the population was concerned over the protracted and prolonged nature of trials. He said this leads to reputational damage to the administration of criminal justice and called upon Law Enforcement Agencies involved in the administration of criminal justice namely the police, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, the Prosecutor General’s office and the Judiciary to expedite the prosecution and finalisation of criminal charges in particular cases pertaining to corruption.
Cde Chinamasa warned the public that unnecessary political activities such as demonstrations will not be tolerated in line with the current lockdown regulations directed by the President to contain Covid-19.
“Those who are organising such demonstrations will have themselves to blame if they continue to defy authorities. What happened on 1 August 2018 will never be allowed to be repeated again. The merchants of violence who are known to be working with our detractors must heed our call for them to respect the law if they want the law to respect them as well,” he added.
-State Media