THE opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed disgust at reports claiming that First Lady Grace Mugabe is looking to launch an airline venture, Zimbabwe Airways.
The claimed new airline comes at a time when the national flag carrier, Air Zimbabwe, which is run by Mugabe’s son-in-law is struggling to stay afloat.
PDP Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the creation of a “Mugabe Airways” proves the President Robert Mugabe’s “unbridled greedy” and is meant to benefit his clan.
“We see signs of a last supper kind of looting, actions that are directly influenced by the envisioning of an inevitable early sunset suffice to say the Mugabes have had infinite last suppers,” said Mafume in a statement on Friday.
“The First Family has become a centre of corruption and looting is a disgrace.”
According to Mafume, Mugabe has the responsibility of upholding the constitution as the president of the country.
“We are concerned about the blatant violation of the constitution by the President who is supposed to superintend its protection as the supreme law of the land,” he said.
“The report published in (a local financial weekly) indicates that President Mugabe went and negotiated the deal on behalf of the Zimbabwean government.
“That a deal can be negotiated on behalf of the state and then turned into a family entity is criminal, Zimbabweans must be angry.
“The law of the land does not allow a President to use his official position for personal gain.”
Mafume said the First Family should disclose the source of funds used to secure Boeing 777-planes branded Zimbabwe Airlines to allay fears they may be dipping hands to into state coffers to finance family ventures.
“The source of funds being used to purchase the jets must be disclosed, if the Mugabes are buying the planes using their own money, then an investigation must be opened on their source of funds.
“They normally must not have acquired such kind of money.”-Newzim
