Scandal prone ZANU-PF struggles to fend off fate

ZANU-PF is inept, corrupt, but worst of all full of incorrigible charlatans. And it is all unravelling right before our very own eyes.

The hottest controversy in the party right now is that of the corruption allegations against (mis)information deputy minister, Bright Matonga. Sensing danger, he proffered this weak statement alleging that unnamed senior politicias in ZANU-PF wanted him done. Lo and behold, the Fingaz explained the deputy minister's sudden jitterness (he's normally boistrous) in this article

"THE Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) bribery scandal, in which board chairman Charles Nherera is accused of soliciting a US$85 000 bribe from a local bus supplier, has sucked in Vice President Joice Mujuru, Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga.


According to an audio tape, a copy of which has since been lodged with the police as evidence in the festering graft case, former ZUPCO chief executive officer Matonga benefited from an earlier inducement of US$3 000 per bus, along with Nherera, paid by bus supplier Jayesh Shah of Gift Investments.
Shah and Nherera, who is also the vice-chancellor of Chinhoyi University, are currently involved in a bitter dispute over the bribery claims. A police probe is underway."

Yes sir, this is the next juicy scandal. If you don't know, ZUPCO is the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company, a public transit parastatal that Matonga headed up before his appointment to the information ministry. Ironically, the Herald has been awash with stories glorify said Mujuru's anti corruption crusade. This is what they're trying to gloss over.

The hot one involves Mugabe's meddling press secretary, George Charamba. He is locked in a bitter power struggle with top officials in the information ministry and Lovemore Mataire, the editor of ZANU-PF's The Voice. Mataire has fired off the dirtiest salvo yet in this mudslinging contest. The Independent reports that Mataire revealed that Matonga had recently assaulted his infirm wife,

"PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba has been accused of wife battering after he allegedly beat his spouse in a domestic row over a missing gun.
The accusations against Charamba, which have surfaced in the ruling Zanu PF newspaper, The Voice, come against a background of fierce infighting at the Information ministry and between the ministry and the Zanu PF information department.

Deputy Information minister Bright Matonga said yesterday in the state media he was aware senior ministry officials were plotting his downfall. The infighting reflects factionalism in Zanu PF and wrangling in state departments.

Charamba, who has reportedly clashed with government colleagues and state media employees, has lately been locked in a war of words with the editor of The Voice, Lovemore Mataire, over an unclear dispute.

Mataire two weeks ago attacked the author of the Herald's Nathaniel Manheru column saying he was a "British agent" and "saboteur". He said Manheru was a "double agent" and "liar" who gushed "stinking effluent".

Mataire claimed Manheru - who former Information minister Jonathan Moyo has identified as Charamba - indulged in "spousal abuse and other immoral activities". Charamba had earlier described Mataire as a failed and incompetent editor who makes "spectacular political and editorial goofs".

Charamba - who is also Information permanent secretary - was said to have assaulted his wife last year on February 24 at their Mandara home after a gun dispute."

That off course after,

"Manheru also accused Mataire of hobnobbing with opposition politicians and moonlighting for the Voice of America's Studio 7.

He said Mataire recently went on a jaunt with a girlfriend and suffered a car crash which cost her an eye and left his marriage "in tatters."

But that's not all there is beguiling ZANU-PF. The succession battle is back in the mix after Patrick Chinamasa came out and suggested a poll harmonization. The Independent has this interesting take on what is going on the background in ZANU-PF,

"PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's convoluted succession struggle has taken a new twist with disclosures that a ruling Zanu PF coterie is mulling a novel ethnic balancing act to unravel the tangled leadership crisis.

Official sources said the dominant Zanu PF faction seen as led by retired army commander Solomon Mujuru has come up with a multi-ethnic plan to unscramble Mugabe's succession logjam in a bid to avert a damaging split in the ruling party.

Sources said the latest proposal revolves around a delicate quadrilateral plan involving senior Zanu PF officials, Simba Makoni, Joice Mujuru, John Nkomo and Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The sources said the new plan - which is a reaction to growing internal factionalism and infighting - suggests that Makoni would be the Zanu PF presidential candidate in 2010. If he wins, Mujuru and Nkomo would be his vice-presidents, while Mnangagwa becomes prime minister.

Although Mugabe is said to be hostile to the idea of Makoni succeeding him, sources said a powerful clique wants to push for this plan because they think he is the only one who could win Zanu PF an election if given adequate initiation.

Makoni is seen as the only one not tainted."

Also tainted by scandal are Reserve Bank govenor Gideon Gono in relation to the Kuruneri trial; finance minister Herbert Murerwa in association with the tax commissioner; and off course, there's good old Didymus Mutasa who has been linked to barbaric attacks on few remaining white farmers in Chipinge.

The question is who is not corrupt in this regime?

Zimbabwe, Corruption,