Politburo raps MDC-T

Herald Reporter
MDC-T is abusing ministerial portfolios allocated to it in the inclusive Government to fundraise for its party activities, Zanu-PF’s Politburo has said.
In a statement on Thursday, Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity, Cde Rugare Gumbo said the Politburo wanted Finance Minister Tendai Biti to discharge State duties efficiently and release money for completion of the constitution-making process and for civil servants’ salaries.
The Politburo met at Zanu-PF’s headquarters in Harare on Wednesday.
Cde Gumbo said: “The Politburo deplored in strongest terms attempts by MDC-T to abuse its ministerial portfolios in the inclusive Government in order to infiltrate and to deploy its activists in strategic positions in the public sector to abuse and short-circuit procurement processes to raise funds for its election campaigns. This corrupt fund-raising has now extended to energy billing and tax-collection systems through which Zimbabweans are being turned into involuntary funders of MDC-T.”
Zesa Holdings, which is under the Minis-try of Energy and Power Development hea-ded by MDC-T’s Elton Mangoma, intends to install a pre-paid billing system whose tender process has already been challenged in court. The Ministry of Finance has ordered retailers to introduce new taxregisters although there has been an outcry over the cost of the new system.
Cde Gumbo said changes at Zimra proposed by Minister Biti were part of MDC-T’s broader agenda. “Current attempts to destabilise Zimra’s top management are part of this sinister plot which must be stopped forthwith,” Cde Gumbo said.
Cde Gumbo reiterated that Minister Biti’s actions would force Zanu-PF to reconsider its position in the inclusive Government.
He said the Politburo had resolved Minister Biti be immediately ordered to release funds for constitution-making, civil servants’ salaries, the student cadetship programme and for farmers who delivered grain to the GMB.
“Similarly that Biti be ordered to release funds for a review of conditions for civil servants as directed by the Head of State and Government, Cde Mugabe. Failure to comply with the order must be held up personally against the minister,” Cde Gumbo said.
On the anti-sanctions campaign, Cde Gumbo said: “The party decided that the campaign be launched by His Excellency the President next Wednesday in Harare. The Politburo urged that the campaign must incorporate a whole range of participatory activities to make it internationally resonant.”
The party will collect two million signatures from Zimbabweans opposed to sanctions.