Mugabe warns corrupt leaders, slaps down succession debate

HARARE – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has warned that he may be forced to launch a campaign to cleanup his party’s leadership for abusing authority to amass wealth and property, the official Herald newspaper reported on Saturday.

“People want to acquire wealth through self-aggrandisement… these cases are increasing in number and we shall now be bound to have a campaign of cleansing the central committee,” Mugabe was quoted as saying by The Herald.He issued the warning at a closed-door ordinary session of the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) in Harare on Friday.Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African nation since independence in 1980 from former colonial power Britain, did not name the corrupt senior officials.He said there were “many cases” of abuse of authority which had been brought to the attention of the party.”Some were seeking to evict ordinary people who had been legally allocated farms, while others were demanding first preference in the allocation of business stands or houses,” Mugabe said.Around 4 000 white farmers have lost their land since Mugabe launched his fast-track land reform programme in 2000 to redress the imbalances in land ownership from the colonial era.Most of the land has been re-distributed to party cadres and ordinary Zimbabweans.Fewer than 600 farmers remain on their properties in Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of southern Africa.Mugabe also said his administration had noted with “concern” the continuous attempts by foreign-sponsored lobby groups to “disturb the peace and stability through the so-called peaceful demonstrations”.He said police would be given “extra powers to deal with those bent on disturbing the peace”.Police this week arrested 220 activists who marched in two cities and a town to press for constitutional reforms.”We shall not sit back and allow any group of persons to circumvent the democratic process and aspire to power through illegitimate and unconstitutional means,” Mugabe said.* Meanwhile, Mugabe has poured cold water over a debate regarding his succession, calling the issue a “nonsensical thing”, a newspaper report said yesterday.”The things we hear about succession, succession, succession…if I were to write books, I would write volumes and volumes of (this) nonsensical thing,” the state-owned Sunday Mail quoted Mugabe as saying.Mugabe made the comments at a national consultative meeting of his ruling Zanu-PF.”We hear lots of unbelievable stories about succession, we hear some people are consulting witchdoctors …but the biggest witchdoctor is the people of Zimbabwe and there is no need to consult witchdoctors,” Mugabe said.Some politicians in Zimbabwe were known for consulting witchdoctors which they believed could help predict the future or help them be successful.”If you do your job well, the people will recognise you.If you do your work and work with the people well, the people will recognise you,” Mugabe said.- Nampa-AFPthese cases are increasing in number and we shall now be bound to have a campaign of cleansing the central committee,” Mugabe was quoted as saying by The Herald.He issued the warning at a closed-door ordinary session of the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) in Harare on Friday.Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African nation since independence in 1980 from former colonial power Britain, did not name the corrupt senior officials.He said there were “many cases” of abuse of authority which had been brought to the attention of the party.”Some were seeking to evict ordinary people who had been legally allocated farms, while others were demanding first preference in the allocation of business stands or houses,” Mugabe said.Around 4 000 white farmers have lost their land since Mugabe launched his fast-track land reform programme in 2000 to redress the imbalances in land ownership from the colonial era.Most of the land has been re-distributed to party cadres and ordinary Zimbabweans.Fewer than 600 farmers remain on their properties in Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of southern Africa.Mugabe also said his administration had noted with “concern” the continuous attempts by foreign-sponsored lobby groups to “disturb the peace and stability through the so-called peaceful demonstrations”.He said police would be given “extra powers to deal with those bent on disturbing the peace”.Police this week arrested 220 activists who marched in two cities and a town to press for constitutional reforms.”We shall not sit back and allow any group of persons to circumvent the democratic process and aspire to power through illegitimate and unconstitutional means,” Mugabe said. * Meanwhile, Mugabe has poured cold water over a debate regarding his succession, calling the issue a “nonsensical thing”, a newspaper report said yesterday.”The things we hear about succession, succession, succession…if I were to write books, I would write volumes and volumes of (this) nonsensical thing,” the state-owned Sunday Mail quoted Mugabe as saying.Mugabe made the comments at a national consultative meeting of his ruling Zanu-PF.”We hear lots of unbelievable stories about succession, we hear some people are consulting witchdoctors …but the biggest witchdoctor is the people of Zimbabwe and there is no need to consult witchdoctors,” Mugabe said.Some politicians in Zimbabwe were known for consulting witchdoctors which they believed could help predict the future or help them be successful.”If you do your job well, the people will recognise you.If you do your work and work with the people well, the people will recognise you,” Mugabe said.- Nampa-AFP