Robert Mugabe told delegates he welcomed the fact that his wife had exposed his deputy's plot

Continue reading the main sThe rise of Grace Mugabe

Zimbabwe's president has spoken of his anger that his embattled deputy Joyce Mujuru allegedly plotted to assassinate him and accused her of being a thief.

Speaking at the ruling Zanu-PF party's congress, Robert Mugabe said he would act against all corrupt officials.

Mrs Mujuru's absence from the congress showed she was "scared", he added.

Recently expelled Zanu-PF member Rugare Gumbo told the BBC the 90-year-old leader had "completely" turned the party into his "personal property".

Mr Mugabe had targeted Mrs Mujuru to advance the "fortunes" of his wife Grace, the former Zanu-PF spokesman added.

Mrs Mujuru, who has previously denied the allegations, had been seen as a potential successor to Mr Mugabe, with whom she fought for Zimbabwe's independence from white-minority rule.

Many Zanu-PF members are still fiercely loyal to Mr Mugabe

Thousands of delegates attended the congress

However, her career ran into trouble when Mrs Mugabe entered into politics this year, and accused her of plotting against her husband.

The congress, being held in the capital Harare, is expected to elect the first lady as the head of Zanu-PF's women's wing.

'Bribing delegates'

Mr Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, will remain as Zanu-PF leader.

He told thousands of delegates that he welcomed the fact that his wife had exposed Mrs Mujuru's attempt to oust him.

"Thieves never succeed... look at all the transgressions. Her corruption is now exposed," Mr Mugabe said.

At the scene: BBC Africa's Brian Hungwe

The congress hall was packed with about 10,000 delegates. Some of them cheered when Mr Mugabe spoke; others remained quiet, suggesting they are worried about the divisions that have wracked the ruling party as the president consolidates his hold on power.

Leaders such as Joyce Mujuru and Didimus Mutasa have been Zanu-PF cadres for more than four decades, and command a huge following. They are now out in the cold, accused by Mr Mugabe of being key figures in a "cabal" opposed to his leadership.

Rugare Gumbo, expelled from Zanu-PF as part of the purge, told the BBC the party was not "moving forward" and could "collapse".

But War Veterans Association chairman Chris Mutsvangwa said it had addressed its "afflictions without too much ructions" and it would now focus on improving Zimbabwe's struggling economy. The 90-year-old leader is expected to appoint loyalists to key positions later in the week.

Mr Mugabe, while speaking in the local Shona language, said Mrs Mujuru planned to assassinate him but in English he only accused her of trying to have him "kicked out" by bribing delegates.

"But you delegates are not foolish. You can't be bought," Mr Mugabe added.

Vowing to tackle corruption, Mr Mugabe said: "If you were a minister, you will lose your job. Some will face the full might of the law."

Joyce Mujuru was once a staunch ally of Mr Mugabe

Mrs Mujuru was first accused in the state-owned media of plotting to kill Mr Mugabe and has instructed her lawyers to take legal action to clear her name.

Referring to her and her allies' failure to attend the congress, Mr Mugabe said: "As you see we have empty spaces on the stage. We didn't chase them away but they chose not to come."

Correspondents say Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa is now among the candidates being tipped to succeed Mrs Mujuru, her long-time rival.

Mrs Mujuru took part in the 1970s guerrilla war against white-minority rule when her nom de guerre was Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood).

She married Solomon Mujuru, the former army chief seen as Zimbabwe's king-maker in 1977. He died in a fire at his farm in 2011.

Mmiliki wa Kampuni ya Kufua Umeme ya IPTL, Habirnder Seth Singh.

Mmiliki wa Kampuni ya Kufua Umeme ya IPTL, Habirnder Seth Singh amesema anafikiria mara mbilimbili iwapo aendelee kuwekeza nchini au la, baada ya kuwapo kwa tuhuma kwamba alihusika na uchotaji wa fedha katika Akaunti ya Tegeta Escrow katika Benki Kuu ya Tanzania (BoT).

“Nimeongelewa sana kiasi kwamba naona kama hakuna hata amani ya kuwekeza Tanzania, nitajifikiria mara mbili mbili. Wananchi wanaelewa vingine kabisa kuhusu suala hili kwa sababu ya upotoshwaji,” alisema Singh alipozungumza na gazeti hili jana.

Singh ambaye alituhumiwa kujipatia asilimia 70 ya hisa katika Kampuni ya IPTL isivyo halali, alisema hafikirii kuwekeza zaidi nchini kwa sababu yamekuwapo maneno mengi na shutuma zisizo na ukweli zilizoelekezwa kwake kuhusu sakata hilo.

Kauli ya bosi huyo wa IPTL imekuja wakati Taifa likisubiri utekelezaji wa maazimio ya Bunge na akiwa mmojawapo wa watu wanaotakiwa kuchunguzwa na vyombo vya dola ili akibainika kufanya makosa, afikishwe mahakamani.

Jana, Mwenyekiti wa CUF, Profesa Ibrahim Lipumba alimtaka Rais Jakaya Kikwete kutekeleza haraka maazimio manane yaliyotolewa na Bunge dhidi ya ufisadi wa sakata la escrow.

“Rais hatakiwi kukaa kimya, atoe tamko la haraka ili kuwaondoa viongozi hao. Hata Waziri Mkuu anatakiwa kuwajibishwa kwa sababu ni chanzo cha udhaifu huo,” alisema Profesa Lipumba alipokuwa akizungumza kwenye Mkutano Mkuu wa Jumuiya ya Wanawake wa CUF (JUKECUF).

Jana, Ngeleja ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Sengerema alisema: “Kwangu ni kama hukumu imetangulia mashtaka kwa sababu sikuwahi kuitwa kuhojiwa mahali popote, ila ninauheshimu uamuzi wa Bunge.”

Kwa upande wake, Jaji Mkuu wa Tanzania, Mohamed Chande Othman alisema hayuko tayari kuzungumzia masuala ya kashfa ya Akaunti ya Escrow pamoja na mwingiliano wa mihimili miwili, Bunge na Mahakama kwa kuwa siyo wakati wake.

Wakati hayo yakiendelea, uongozi wa Benki ya Stanbic Tanzania nao ulitoa taarifa ya kukana kuhusika katika utakatishaji fedha za Akaunti ya Tegeta Escrow, baada ya Bunge kupitisha azimio la kuitaka mamlaka husika za kifedha kuichunguza.

Malamiko ya Singh

Singh alisema kampuni yake imekuwa ikiuza umeme kwa bei nafuu; senti nane kuliko kampuni nyingine, lakini bado anaonekana kuwa na makosa.

“Kuuza umeme kwa senti nane kwa megawati ni bei nafuu sana lakini mbona naonekana kama nina makosa? Ndiyo maana ninasema nitafikiria mara mbili kuwauzia umeme,” alisema.

Alisema kampuni nyingine za kufua umeme zinauza umeme mara mbili ya bei kuliko yake, lakini bado anaonekana si mwekezaji mzuri huku mazuri yote aliyoyafanya nchini yakisahauliwa.

Alisema anashangazwa na kauli za wabunge na baadhi ya wanasiasa kuwa anatakiwa kukamatwa kwa kukwepa kodi na kujipatia fedha isivyo halali na kusema haoni kosa alilolifanya mpaka sasa.

“Wanikamate kwa lipi? Hata kutaifisha mali zangu au mitambo hawawezi kabisa hiyo ni kazi ya Mahakama,” alisema.

Alisema wanaomtuhumu kuwa kaiba fedha za umma hawana hoja na kwamba kama ingekuwa kweli, waliotakiwa kulalamika ni mmiliki mwenza wa zamani wa IPTL, James Rugemalira na raia wa Malaysia, aliyemtaja kwa jina moja la Barbin... “Wenyewe wahusika hawajasema kama wameibiwa lakini leo naambiwa na Bunge nimeiba na wanataka kutaifisha mali zangu inashangaza sana.”

Alisema ameshangazwa na jinsi Bunge lilivyomhukumu bila kupewa nafasi ya kujitetea... “Wao wanajadili bungeni, Mahakama haijatoa hukumu lakini wanamhukumu mtu ambaye hayupo hapo, hawajasikia utetezi wake. Inashangaza sana, kwa nini Mahakama isifanyie kazi suala hili na kutoa hukumu?”

Kuhusu utata wa uraia wake, Singh alisema hakuna ukweli wowote kuwa yeye ni Mkenya au wa Afrika Kusini na kusisitiza kuwa ni Mtanzania, mzaliwa wa Iringa. “Mimi ni Mtanzania, unafikiri mimi Mhindi?” alihoji Singh.

Kauli ya Ngeleja

Kwa upande wake, Ngeleja naye alilalamikia kutohojiwa na kusema: “Siwezi kufahamu kwa nini sikuitwa kuhojiwa maana hata maaskofu nimesikia kwenye vyombo vya habari kwamba nao wanalalamika hawakuhojiwa, pengine inawezekana muda ulikuwa mfupi, hilo sifahamu.”

Ngeleja ambaye aliwahi kuwa Waziri wa Nishati na Madini kabla ya kung’olewa katika nafasi hiyo alisema katika mazingira ya sasa hawezi kuzungumzia fedha zinazodaiwa kuingizwa katika akaunti yake, hadi pale wenye mamlaka zitakapotekeleza maazimio ya Bunge.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Mamlaka ya Usajili wa Vizazi na Vifo (Rita), Philip Saliboko alisema anasubiri uchunguzi ufanyike ili kubaini ukweli juu ya kuhusishwa na mgawo wa Sh40.4 milioni zilizochotwa kutoka akaunti hiyo.

“Unataka nizungumze nini sasa? Taarifa zimesomwa na kutangazwa, tusubiri huo uchunguzi unaotakiwa kufanyika,” alisema.

Jaji Mkuu agoma

Akizungumza baada ya mkutano wa viongozi wa Mahakama na vyombo vya habari uliofanyika Dar es Salaam jana, Jaji Mkuu Chande alisema: “Mambo hayo yameshajadiliwa na hapa tulipo si mahala pake.”

Aliombwa kutoa kauli yake kuhusu baadhi ya majaji kuhusishwa na kashfa ya hiyo na kile kilichoelezwa kuwa kuingiliana kwa mihimili ya Bunge na Mahakama katika kushughulikia suala hilo.

Hata hivyo, mmoja wa maofisa wa Mahakama aliyekuwapo eneo hilo, alisema suala majaji wanaotuhumiwa linanasubiri kuundwa kwa tume ya kijaji kama ilivyoelekezwa na Bunge.

Majaji hao waliotajwa ni Aloysius Mujulizi na Profesa Eudes Ruhangisa ambao wanadaiwa kuhamishiwa fedha kutoka kwa akaunti ya mmojawapo wa watuhumiwa iliyopo Benki ya Mkombozi. Hadi sasa majaji hao hawajatoa maelezo yoyote kuhusu suala hilo.

Stanbic yakana

Benki ya Stanbic jana ilitoa taarifa kwa umma ikisema haihusiki na sakata hilo na kwamba imekuwa ikifuata sheria na kanuni za kifedha katika utendaji wake.

“Tunapenda kuwahakikishia wateja wetu kwamba Benki ya Stanbic siku zote inafuata masharti yote na pamoja na sheria za maadili zilizowekwa Serikali ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania,” ilisema taarifa hiyo.

Benki ya Mkombozi inayomilikiwa na Kanisa Katoliki ilishatoa taarifa ikikanusha kuhusika kutakatisha fedha chafu.

“Benki inawataarifu wateja wake na Watanzania kwa ujumla kutoyumbishwa na tuhuma hizo ambazo hazina ukweli ndani yake na badala yake waitumie benki yao kwa shughuli za maendeleo ya nchi yetu,” ilisema taarifa hiyo.

Msemaji wa BoT, Lwaga Mwambane alisema tuhuma dhidi ya benki hizo zinafanyiwa kazi na Kitengo cha Intelijensia ya Fedha (FIU) kilichopo chini ya Wizara ya Fedha.

Masele ajigamba

Naye Naibu Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, Steven Masele amejigamba kuwa tuhuma zilizokuwa zikielekezwa kwake kuhusu sakata hilo ni kama kumpiga chura teke na kumwongezea mwendo.

Akihutubia mkutano wa uzinduzi wa kampeni za Serikali za Mitaa mjini Shinyanga juzi, Masele alisema aliokolewa kutoka kwenye mto uliojaa mamba na kusema wabaya wake walijua tayari wamemwangamiza na kwamba kupona kwake kumempa nguvu ya kufanya kazi kwa bidii ili kuleta mabadiliko katika jimbo lake la Msalala.

chanzo:gazeti la mwananchi

Mwenyekiti wa iliyokuwa Tume ya Mabadiliko ya Katiba, Jaji Joseph Warioba (kushoto), akizungumza na Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Bunge ya Hesabu za Serikali (PAC), Zitto Kabwe. Masaki Dar es Salaam jana.

Mwenyekiti wa iliyokuwa Tume ya Mabadiliko ya Katiba, Jaji Joseph Warioba juzi alifanya mazungumzo ya saa mbili ya Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Bunge ya Hesabu za Serikali (PAC), Zitto Kabwe kuhusu masuala ya uongozi na uwajibikaji baada ya mbunge huyo wa Kigoma Kaskazini kumtembelea nyumbani kwake, Masaki, Dar es Salaam.

Katika mazungumzo hayo, Zitto pia alimweleza Waziri Mkuu huyo mstaafu maazimio ya Bunge kuhusu uchotwaji wa Sh306 bilioni katika Akaunti ya Tegeta Escrow.

Katika ujumbe wake mfupi alioutuma katika mtandao wa Facebook, Zitto alisema: “Nimekuwa na mkutano wa zaidi ya masaa mawili (saa mbili) na Mzee Warioba kuhusu masuala mbalimbali ya nchi yetu kama uongozi na uwajibikaji. Pia nimemweleza kwa ufupi kuhusu maazimio ya Bunge kuhusu Akaunti ya Tegeta Escrow.”

Kukutana kwa viongozi hao kumekuja ikiwa zimepita siku mbili tangu Jaji Warioba kuzungumza na gazeti hili kuhusu sakata la escrow na maazimio manane ya Bunge.

Zitto alimtembelea Jaji Warioba siku habari hiyo ilipochapishwa, kitendo ambacho kimetafsiriwa kama ni mbunge huyo kutolea ufafanuzi maoni ya Jaji Warioba ambaye pia amewahi kuwa Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali hasa kuhusu maeneo yaliyoachwa katika ripoti hiyo licha ya kuwa yanaonekana kuhusika katika kashfa hiyo.

Bunge lilihitimisha mjadala wa kashfa hiyo, kwa kupitisha maazimio manane, ikiwa ni pamoja na kuwawajibisha Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali (AG) Jaji Frederick Werema, Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, Profesa Sospeter Muhongo; Waziri wa Ardhi, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi, Profesa Anna Tibaijuka na Katibu Mkuu wa Nishati na Madini, Eliakim Maswi.

Bunge hilo pia liliazimia kuwajibishwa kwa wajumbe wa Bodi ya Wakurugenzi ya Tanesco pamoja na wenyeviti watatu wa kamati za kudumu za Bunge; Victor Mwambalaswa (Nishati na Madini), William Ngeleja (Katiba, Sheria na Utawala) na William Ngeleja (Bajeti).

Katika maoni yake juu ya kashfa hiyo, Jaji Warioba alisema Bunge limefanya makosa ya kutozijumuisha Wizara ya Fedha na ile ya Viwanda na Biashara katika uchunguzi huo kwa kuwa nazo zinahusika.

Alisema katika Ripoti ya CAG na PAC, wametaja ukiukwaji wa malipo ya kodi ya ongezeko la mtaji (capital gain) na ushuru wa stempu (stamp duty) na kuwa wanaohusika katika hilo ni Wizara ya Fedha na Mamlaka ya Mapato Tanzania (TRA) na upande mwingine ni Wakala wa Usajili wa Biashara na Leseni (Brela) ambao uko chini ya Wizara ya Viwanda na Biashara.

Alisema hata kampuni iliyotajwa kuwa imesajiliwa Brela inaonyesha katika ripoti kuwa wahusika walioisajili hawakuweka majina yao, bali saini tu.

Alifafanua kuwa uamuzi wa Bunge uliilenga Wizara ya Nishati na Madini lakini hasara iliyotajwa kuonekana inazihusu zaidi Wizara ya Fedha na ile ya Viwanda na kusisitiza kuwa uamuzi wa Bunge ulitawaliwa na mchezo wa siasa, kwamba baadhi walindwe na wengine waachwe.

Jaji Warioba alisema kasoro nyingine ni kitendo cha watu wanaodaiwa kupewa fedha na James Rugemalira kutajwa majina yao sambamba na akaunti ya aliyewapa, lakini wale waliodaiwa kuchota fedha hizo katika magunia hawakutajwa.

Pia, alisema haamini kama fedha za escrow ni za Serikali na kuhoji kama zingekuwa za umma zingewekwa katika akaunti hiyo kwa misingi ipi?

Katika maazimo yake Kamati ya PAC ilieleza kuwa uchunguzi kuhusu sakata hilo uliofanywa na Mdhibiti na Mkaguzi Mkuu wa Hesabu za Serikali (CAG), ulieleza kuwa fedha za umma zinaweza kuwamo katika akaunti hiyo.

SOURCE: MWANANCHI