(Last Updated on February 5, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Peter Mutasa has dismissed allegations by some sections of the media that he bought personal properties across the country using donor funds.
This follows an article by one online publication which cited Thomas Masvingwe as their source and claimed he had revealed that the ZCTU boss had lost support within the organisation due to corrupt practices.
Mutasa said these allegations were unfounded and part of the regime’s plans to discredit and arrest him in a bid to silence him.
“l am aware that the regime has been looking for incriminating information against me. It seeks to use that to arrest me on spurious charges and to tarnish my name. It has been tracking my movements and also seeking cooperation from those close to me at my workplace or anywhere l am associated with. It has also obviously profiled me from my young age and throughout my adult life as shown in this article,” said Mutasa in a statement.
He said his family has been in danger since 2018 facing multiple threats of abduction while his nephew was abducted and tortured in 2019.
“l also have been facing danger from the regime since 2018. This includes attempt to abduct me or my family members, abduction and torture of my nephew in January 2019, threats to kill my kids and tracking of my children’s movements, sending bullets to my workplace and home, breaking at my home and workplace, putting me on wanted listed for no reason and constant surveillance. l also strongly suspect it’s agents on the poisoning that almost killed me in October 2020 at a local hotel.
“It’s agents have told me that they will make sure l am out of the ZCTU. They regard the ZCTU under our leadership as terrorists and confrontational. They want a pliant labour movement,” he added.
Mutasa challenged the authorities to verify the information about the multiple properties purported to be his on the said article.
The outspoken ZCTU boss claimed records showed all the funds were accounted for.
Mutasa has been very vocal against the current regime and has led multiple industrial actions demanding that the authorities address the challenges faced by workers.