HARARE – The beleaguered Zimbabwe ruling ZANU PF party has suspended deputy youth secretary Lewis Matutu and political commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu for threatening the party’s unity and cohesion.
According to sources, the decision to expel the duo was made by the party’s politburo during its 336th Ordinary Session held at the ZANU PF Headquarters in Harare on Wednesday afternoon.
Matutu and Tsenengamu addressed a news conference on Monday were they accused ZANU PF benefactor Kudakwashe Tagwirei for corruption, as well as Billy Rautenbach and Tafadzwa Musarara, the chairman of the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ).
Matutu reportedly left the meeting in a huff after President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is the party’s first secretary, chided the youth leaders for “misguided and misdirected activism” in his opening remarks.
According to journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, Matutu was miffed with Mnangagwa’s remarks directed towards “misguided and misdirected activism” that threatens party cohesion, an apparent dig on Matutu and Tsenengamu. Chinon’o posted on Twitter:
ZANU PF Youth leader @LewisMatutu has left the Politburo meeting after @edmnangagwa said he won’t tolerate “…misguided & misdirected activism which threaten the party’s unity, cohesion & singleness of purpose.” What did I tell you? ED won’t tolerate a fight against corruption?
Officially opening the ruling party’s 336th Ordinary Session of the Politburo in Harare on Wednesday, President Mnangagwa said: The fight to end corruption must gain momentum. In so doing however, the Party’s wings and members across the board, must exercise discipline.
We must all guard against misguided and misdirected activism which threaten the Party’s unity, cohesion and singleness of purpose. Such behaviour will never be condoned.
Matutu and youth league political commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu on Monday addressed a press conference where they accused some businesspeople closely linked to the ruling party of corruption. The ruling party distanced itself from the duo’s accusations, saying they were not speaking for ZANU PF.
