Matutu vows to fight on

Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THE Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Lewis Matutu, has vowed to continue tackling corruption head-on, saying he is prepared to deal with the consequences of naming and shaming corrupt senior party and Government officials.

In an interview after a Midlands Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting in Gweru yesterday, Cde Matutu said it was imperative for Zanu-PF to start dealing with corruption at party level before descending on other sectors and organisations within and outside Government.

“When we started this we were prepared for anything. It’s nothing personal, it’s not about myself as Lewis Matutu, an individual but it is about the generation of the young people and their future.

The issue of corruption has always been there, not in Zanu-PF and Government but also in the private sector as well as opposition-run councils. There is serious corruption in councils run by the opposition and we will see to it that everyone is held accountable.

It is, however, a process.

We are happy that war veterans are supporting us, the Women’s League and the generality of the Zimbabwean populace. So now that we deal with corruption at in-house level no one is going to point fingers at us to say we are corrupt when we target them,” he said.

Cde Matutu said it was incumbent upon the youths to safeguard their future and ensure that corrupt individuals are held accountable.

He said President Mnangagwa has been left to carry the burden on his own while other senior party and Government officials were folding their arms.

“We are very serious about what we have started as youths.

Although we know that it is never easy, it is achievable and we will achieve it. It comes with consequences sometimes but this is something that is necessary and something that we must do as people of our generation.

We have no doubt that action is going to be taken.

I can assure you that whoever is found wanting in that respect will be prosecuted.

It is the norm of the new dispensation that we must walk the talk and it is our responsibility as the Youth League to make sure that we remove the burden from the President of fighting on his own and work while other people are relaxed.

So there are going to be results and people are going to be held accountable and we will definitely see action taking place,” he said.

Cde Matutu said the party will be stronger once it deals with corrupt individuals who were putting its name into disrepute.

“We know our relations with some members will be sour but the party will be stronger which is something good,” he said.