FORMER Home Affairs Minister and Zanu PF secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu reportedly exploded in anger and threatened to beat up Zanu PF deputy youth secretary Lewis Matutu in front of President Emmerson Mnangagwa during a stormy politburo meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was dominated by debate on alleged corruption scandals by top Zanu PF politicians, current and former government officials as well as associated business persons.
Mpofu was prominent in the list of those fingured.
Politburo sources who spoke to an online publication Thursday said there were heated exchanges with Mpofu in particular seething with anger after being included in the “dirty list” of officials accused of sabotaging the economy.
“Mpofu was beside himself with anger,” said the source.
“He threatened to beat up Lewis Matutu in particular. He actually said ‘I will beat you up with open fists. You are too small and young to point accusing fingers at me’. It was bad and at some point the whole auditorium watched in awe as he shouted.”
The claims were corroborated by another source who added Tourism Minister Priscah Mupfumira into the mix.
“She was also very angry and shouted at Matutu as well as (youth league politburo secretary (Pupurai) Togarepi. They stood accused of pushing a factional agenda.
“The only person who seemed to have been ready to defend himself and calmly so was (Minister in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office) Joram Gumbo. He seemed to have been happy that the accusations have been made public and wants to cleanse his name,” said.
Gumbo has been accused of being part of the murky ZimAirways deal in which government reportedly lost millions.
On Monday, Matutu led the Zanu PF youth league in “naming and shaming” Zanu PF loyalists they accused of sabotaging the economy.
The list included central bank governor John Mangudya who is now suing Matutu for defamation, shadowy businessman Wicknell Chivayo, artisanal miners leader Henrietta Rushwaya, among other prominent individuals.
It has also been gathered that some in the Zanu PF’s top leadership wanted to be involved in the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry into their corrupt activities.
“They wanted to be part of it but with support from war veterans in the politburo this was shot down. A decision was then made that the President alone should set it up. It has to be swift because most of these people must just be allowed to go,” said another source.
While party spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo told journalists that Matutu had been asked to apologise for making the names of “corrupt people” public, it has emerged the apology was not to the identified individuals but to the party.
“The apology was just an operational issue on that the youth league should have told the party leadership first…” said the insider.
Mnangagwa is set to appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate some of his closest lieutenants fingered in corruption with sources claiming Mnangagwa was the brains behind the youth league’s controversial actions.
“He just doesn’t want to be blamed for firing them but he is in on it,” said the source.
