ZANU-PF First Secretary President Mugabe yesterday criticised some Chinese businessmen for failing to deposit their cash into local banks and instead, smuggling it to their home country. He also rapped them for not bringing along their wives when working on projects that ran for several years, saying this could lead them to prey on local girls. President Mugabe said this while addressing members of the revolutionary party’s National Consultative Assembly at the Zanu-PF Headquarters yesterday.
Failure to deposit daily takings has been cited as one of the causes of the prevailing cash shortages. “KuSouth Africa ndinonzwa kuti vakazoramba mazhing-zhong, anonzi mazhing- zhong, nekuti vanobva vatoraka madhora edu voenda nawo ikoko (kuChina). Havaisi mumabank medu, havabhengi.
“Ipapo chete, shamwari dzedu dzechiChina ndipo patisingadzinzwisise. Havade kuisa mumabank. Ndizvo zvinhu zviviri, zvingave zvinopfuura ipapa, asi zviviri izvozvo ndozvatakaona zvinotinyangadza pamaitiro avo. Vauya, mashanda navo, kunyange magovana mari pabasa rinenge raitwa, yavo haipinde mubank, kana, vanotumira kumusha.
The President said it had been observed that most Chinese nationals leave behind their wives when coming for long-term projects, leaving people to wonder if they will be celibate. “Zvino ruzhinji rwacho vanongouya varume vogavoga. Ndicho chechipiri ichocho. Varume vogavoga. Ah! Vanovawanepi vakadzi? Vanenge vasiri vadukuka vaungati mastudents havasati vakura, vane vakadzi kumba kwavo, shure, zvino vouya kuno vane macontracts auchazopedza makore maviri kana matatu usati wadzokera kumusha?
“Ndiyani pano angandiudze murume kuti ndingade kunzwa murume wacho from the President to the Vice President nevamwe — angati angagare makore mashanu iye anga ari murume wemhuri ari uko, achingotarisa chete vasikana ava? Kune chamhupu chinonzi chapedza varume. Ndichocho. Zvino toti tinosiirwa imwe mhuri yechikaradhi.
“Asi ukaenda kwavo, eeeh, vana vechikoro, zvakarema! Havabvume kuti vana vavo varoorwe kana kuti vatambwe navo. Saka ndizvo zvinhu zviviri izvo zvatinoti kwete. Kana vachiuya ngavauye nemhuri. Asi ivo vanoda zvekuti zhoo varume vogavoga, kuvazadza mumarori vari varume vogavoga. Hatidiba,” he said.
He said Government would continue engaging Chinese authorities since the two countries enjoyed good bilateral relations to ensure that some of these issues were addressed. “Tinongoramba tichitaura navo, kuti vanhu vatinonzwana navo paushamwari hwedu, saka hatingarasane navo. Tichitaura nevakuru vavo kuti apa dai maona apa,” he said.
He castigated financial institutions for steep bank charges and high interest rates. President Mugabe said he received a complaint last week from a corporate entity that was levied more than $200 in bank charges for depositing $350 000.
“If $350 000 has come into the account of a person and into your bank, you should give him interest because it increases your capacity to lend also. I think the banking system deserves to be looked into. We should look into it almost immediately,” said President Mugabe. He also castigated party cadres for trading insults and accusations though social media.
President Mugabe said by exchanging harsh words through hostile private media, they would be exposing themselves to ridicule by opposition parties. “Ava vanonyora zvimapepa ava vanoti aiwa, don’t blame us. Blame your people in the party who give us information. But why do we do that?” asked President Mugabe.
He said anyone with issues should bring them to the party organs like the Central Committee. “Kana tichitukana tirimuno, zvoperera muno, ndezveduka, tabuda panze, tiripamwe chete, kwete tabuda panze toti hacha, haa tosekwa naanaTsvangirai baba iwekani, tinonyarira kupi. Ngatiregerei kudaro,” said President Mugabe.
He said the First Family had been demonised with the First Lady being ascribed a faction each time she delivered a speech during political rallies. President Mugabe also rapped men who sexually abuse young girls, saying there was need for stiff sentences like castration.
“Ndakakura ndichifudza mombe dzavasekuru. Taingoda kuti tingova nemabhuru maviri, kana rimwe chete mudanga. Twese tumwe twaiva tumabhuru twataiziva hatungakanganise dzimwe mombe, taitupa bhadhiso. Gaa-gaa bhadhiso. Hazvina mhosva unopfeka zvako mabhurukwa ako nesutu yako, asi baba vanenge vaenda,” he said to a rousing applause.
He applauded Zanu-PF Youth League led by deputy secretary, Cde Kudzai Chipanga for conducting a successful One-million Man March last month. He urged them to continue respecting their elders. He said the votes of noconfidence that saw several party officials being suspended were not procedurally done stressing that some of the allegations warranted people to be brought before a disciplinary hearing.
President Mugabe said a vote-of-no-confidence should only be used when an office bearer was failing to discharge his or her duties efficiently, saying that was different from misconduct. He said some of the allegations emanated from petty differences.
President Mugabe reiterated his call for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association to be disciplined saying they had no right to determine who should succeed him particularly when it was being done outside the party.