Zanu-PF warns party vehicle abusers

ZANU-PF members who abuse party vehicles for personal gain risk losing them including those who bully their way through toll gates without paying, the party’s secretary-general, Dr Obert Mpofu, has said.

In a warning issued on Friday last week while addressing a joint organising committee meeting for the upcoming 21st National People’s Conference in Bulawayo, Dr Mpofu said several vehicles have been withdrawn from party cadres and were parked at the party’s headquarters in Harare at the insistence of the First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, who would have come across a driver misusing the party vehicle.

Bulawayo will host the party’s annual indaba at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Hall Four from October 22-26 under the theme: “Industrialise, modernise towards Vision 2030.”

A high-powered delegation of politburo members and members of the local organising committee attended the meeting.

“A number of vehicles are parked at our offices in Harare after the First Lady, Umama uMrs Mnangagwa, would have come across party members abusing the vehicles,” said Dr Mpofu.

“We have seen members carrying thatching grass, mining equipment and some indeed pirating with our party vehicles. Let that practice stop forthwith and if it continues we will be left with no option but to do exactly like the First Lady.”

He said the fact that the vehicles are branded means the party name will be viewed in a bad light as that of people who have no respect for the rule because of a few misguided individuals.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be tainted by a few persons. That won’t happen, I repeat that the party will not hesitate to withdraw the vehicle if we see people abusing it,” said Dr Mpofu.

“Those vehicles are for party business and must be used for that and also within the confines of our party and national laws.”

At last year’s National People’s Conference in Gweru, party chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri issued a similar warning to members who abuse vehicles by engaging in activities that go against policy for servant leadership after the party received reports that some people were abusing their party membership to solicit for exemption in paying certain bills like toll fees.

Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri further urged party members to be at the forefront in demonstrating themselves as law-abiding citizens and those that deviated from that clarion call would face the full wrath of the law and the party as the party’s First Secretary, President Mnangagwa had not accorded them vehicle benefits so that they can be abused and bring the party into disrepute.

“Respecting rules and regulations of the party is important. There are those of you who arrive at tollgates with every evidence that they are Zanu-PF members and say we are Zanu-PF members so we should be exempted from paying.

“That kind of indiscipline is shameful and does not reflect well on the President,” she said.

“When you are given party vehicles you should be law abiding and be exemplary showing that you are truly a Zanu-PF member.”

The ruling party has called party members to order saying instead of being reckless they should be propagating party and Government policies.

The party has said in the long run its vehicles would now have tracking systems installed hence those found on the wrong side would face the repercussions of their actions.