Zimbabwean president vows crackdown on corruption

HARARE, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday vowed a crackdown on corruption as he warned that he will name and shame all those who externalized funds if they fail to return them.

Mnangagwa issued a three-month window which expires at the end of February 2018 for all people who shipped money out to bring it back without any questions being asked or face arrest.

Addressing his first ruling ZANU-PF central committee meeting since taking over from former president Robert Mugabe three weeks ago, Mnangagwa said the nation needs to get rid of corruption and create jobs for the people.

"I have a list of the people who took money out. So in March when the three-month grace period expires, those who would not have heeded my call, I will name and shame them," Mnangagwa said.

He said the ruling party needs re-orientation so that it does not only focus on politics but on the economy as well.

"We will not be able to accomplish much for as long as the sense of party work remains in the old template of looking at politics and politics alone. No more - we want politics and the economy. The best politics comes from the market place where livelihoods are made," he said.

He said his administration was wasting no time in implementing measures to attract foreign direct investment and ensure Zimbabwe becomes a safe haven for foreign capital.

Among the measures is the scrapping last week of the indigenization law limiting foreign shareholding to 49 percent. The requirement now only applies to two minerals - platinum and diamond.

While appreciating the support his new administration had received from regional and international countries, the president reiterated his call for the removal of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe.

He said the sanctions had crippled national development. His comments came a day after the United States said it would maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe until the new administration commits to implementing political reforms.

This was after some members of Zimbabwe opposition and civil society appeared before the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee this week where they allegedly urged the Western country to maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa reiterated that his administration will work to ensure next year's polls are credible, free and fair.

In a move to quell jostling for posts by senior party members which may spring new divisions within the party, Mnangagwa extended the tenure of the current central committee by another five years until 2022 when the next elective congress is due.

He has also maintained the same politburo until the end of its term in 2019. Enditem