Queen B strikes back as Zanu PF suspends Matutu and Tsenengamu
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro
The ruling Zanu PF party has suspended youth league officials Lewis Matutu and Godfrey Tsenengamu after they held a press conference on Monday where they took a dig at business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei and other top Zanu PF officials for alleged corruption.
Matutu and Tsenengamu intensified calls for action against allegedly corrupt linchpins Tagwirei nicknamed Queen B, Tafadzwa Musarara and Billy Rautenbach who are considered allies of both President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Matutu who was Zanu PF youth league deputy secretary and Godfrey Tsenengamu who was party youth league national commissar, have been suspended by the party for one year for failing to follow party procedures. The decision was made at the ZANU PF Politburo meeting on Wednesday.
According to reports Mnangagwa is quoted telling the politburo; “I will not tolerate misguided and misdirected activism which threatens the party’s unity cohesion and singleness of purpose.”
Zanu PF youth leader Pupurai Togarepi was also stripped off his position as youth league secretary.
On Monday Matutu and Tsenengamu had campaigned for action to be brought against under-fire business tycoon Tagwirei whom they accused of using his fat pocket to stir up an economic mess that caused massive suffering in Zimbabwe.
They also accused Tagwirei of capturing government’s controversial command agriculture scheme through abuse of Treasury bills.
“He has a company named Fossil-Agro, which is supplying all imports for Command Agriculture,” Tsenengamu said.
Matutu accused Tagwirei of being a forex dealer, responsible for skyrocketing rates and large amounts of cash in the streets.
“How does an individual go to the bank and withdraw ZWL$500 000 cash; at some point in time his accounts were frozen but later unfrozen.
“Our challenge is why would one person come in between people who have nothing to do with his shenanigans and act as if he has protection.
“He has his front people running around in the streets doing his dirty works.
“He (Tagwirei) is leading some mining companies which are sponsoring the machete gangs as they rob gold from hardworking Zimbabweans,” Matutu alleged.
Tsenengamu also rebuked the monopoly on fuel blending by ethanol fuel mogul Rautenbach.
“He has monopoly on ethanol blending, why him alone? Everyone knows that it’s not good, but everyone is quiet or afraid to speak out.
“Why is Billy enjoying that monopoly and fuel prices have gone up because of him. So that he makes money,” Tsenengamu said.
“These cartels are very powerful and connected, and not just to one political party. Whoever comes into power will leave them stealing (sic),” Tsenengamu said.
“Tagwirei runs a car import company. He works with a guy called Brighton. When government requires 40 cars, he imports 100 and the rest come in duty free.
“If you go to Tagwirei’s car sales (company), he has top-of-the range vehicles he brought in under the corrupt Command Agriculture schemes. He has done this because leaders have allowed it,” Tsenengamu claimed.
Musarara, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) chairperson was fingered by the youth league leaders as part of corrupt businessmen diverting mealie-meal to the black market.
Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said the decision to suspend the two was clear evidence that the president was himself captured.
“Now that Lewis Matutu has been suspended from ZANU PF for saying Kuda Tagwirei is corrupt. What does that mean to a sane mind?
“He didn’t say ZANU PF is corrupt, he said Tagwirei is corrupt, and ED moved to suspend him. Who then is Tagwirei’s Godfather? Is ED captured,” Chin’ono said. Nehanda Radio
