Suspended Zanu PF youth leader calls for dialogue

CHENGETAI ZVAUYA

Suspended Zanu PF youth league political commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu has called for political dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to resolve the economic and political challenges facing the country.

Tsenengamu was suspended alongside Youth League deputy secretary Lewis Matutu for a year after alleging that businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Billy Rautenbach and Tafadzwa Musarara were engaging in corrupt activities that are harming the economy. Youth League secretary Pupurai Togarepi lost his politburo post.

Addressing a press conference Friday, the former political commissar in Zanu PF’s Youth League said he was starting a drive against corruption and calling the citizens to rally behind him to fight graft.

“We have started a movement called Zimbabwe First Agenda and Zimbabwe Citizens Anti – Corruption Movement and we want everyone to join us especially young people from both political parties Zanu PF and MDC. 

So we  are proposing that President Mnangagwa  and Chamisa must  come  together and sit  down for dialogue  and we are inviting  them to  our meeting as citizens on February 21 a  public holiday  and  tell  us what they want  to do  for the country to move forward,” Tsenengamu said.

“We want President Mnangagwa, Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi to sit down with Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube to put their heads together and move the country forward otherwise if they don’t do that, they will be overtaken by events happening in the country and as the young generation in the country wants to see the country prospering.”

Tsenengamu described Zanu PF politburo members who suspended him “hardliners and supporting corrupt people”.

“I was suspended  for  mentioning  that the  businessmen are  corrupt but  yet they are not party  members and when I named and shamed  party leaders  Obert Mpofu,   Joram Gumbo that they are corrupt, I  was not  suspended. 

I  don’t know what is going on now as I was not called by the Politburo to state my side of the story but  I am not worried because  this is not  the  first time I  have  been suspended  from the  party  as it started sometime back  during the time of the late President Robert Mugabe,”  Tsenengamu said.

He said he was his own man and not fighting in someone’s corner.

“Some people are saying that I have been sent by   President Mnangagwa to fight Vice President Constantine Chiwenga or vice versa. I don’t belong to any faction and I don’t know the factionalism you are referring too,” Tsenengamu said.

“I joined Zanu PF voluntarily and I will not be pushed around and I know my time shall come and those who are fighting me politically will not succeed.

I have surrendered the party vehicle I was using and lost the salary I was earning at the party.

I am not bothered as I am fighting for the people and I am not going be blinded by good living and monetary benefits so that I cannot talk about corruption.”