The MDC-T has set up a 13-member team to probe at least three ministers and several legislators and councillors on corruption charges.

The party, led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, says those implicated in underhand dealings would be dismissed.

The team, led by the party's deputy secretary-general Tapiwa Mashakada, will carry out investigations into all MDC-T-led councils and has since opened investigations into the goings-on at Bindura council, which is already under probe by a team set up by acting Local Government minister Webster Shamu.

The MDC-T probe team comprises mainly members of the party's committee on local government, who include its chair, Local Government deputy minister Sessel Zvidzai, Last Maengahama, Kadoma Central MP Editor Matamisa and Chimanimani West MP Lynette Karenyi.

Sources in the party revealed that at least three ministers (names supplied) would be investigated for various corruption charges, including flouting of government tender procedures, seeking bribes for tender awards and conniving with their Zanu PF counterparts for self-enrichment.

The party has come up with a code of conduct which is soon to be taken to the national executive committee and then national council for approval. The code will require MDC-T ministers, legislators and councillors to declare their interests and assets in line with modern trends to ensure that there is accountability and transparency.

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa confirmed that some ministers, councillors and legislators were under investigation for engaging in corrupt activities.

He, however, refused to disclose the names of the people under probe, but said there would not be any sacred cows to demonstrate the party's zero tolerance of corruption.

Chamisa told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that anyone found to be corrupt would face automatic dismissal from the party.

"We are a party of excellence. Transparency, accountability and good governance are part of our fabric," he said. "We expect these from our Prime Minister, from our ministers and from, most importantly, our councils. If anyone negates these principles, then we will be destroying the very fabric of the MDC. We should be the opposite of Zanu PF."

Chamisa said the party's biggest challenge at the moment was to deal with corruption and plans were underway to weed out those people involved in any corrupt activity, irrespective of their position in the party.

"Unfortunately others are now falling for this culture of corruption. Our crusade to get rid of bad apples is unstoppable. There will be no sacred cows - this goes for ministers, MPs, councillors. Zero tolerance on corruption is not for convenience but is our conviction," he said.

Chamisa said cases of corruption in the MDC that have been exposed so far should not be seen as a sign of weakness because the party was dealing decisively with such cases and would not allow vice to flourish as Zanu PF did.

"A lot of our councillors have breached the citizen's charter and flouted tender procedures. As a party we need to nip this corruption demon. Our councillors have been emulating and imitating the Zanu PF model of a councillor.

"With the Chitungwiza case, we were late in dealing with that matter. Now we are going to be more proactive. We have set up a committee led by Mashakada, which is going to go to all provinces and all councils," said Chamisa.

Former Chitungwiza mayor Israel Marange was dismissed and councillor Rangarirai Mutingwende suspended from the party over allegations of corruption and more councillors were likely to face the axe as fresh investigations to unearth more cases of corruption were underway in Chitungwiza.

Meanwhile, the Mashakada-led team went to Bindura yesterday to carry out investigations on the allegations of mismanagement of council affairs and continued deterioration of services in the town.

Of the seven allegations levelled by Shamu against the council, the team found that there might be one case involving stands that needed further probing.

Mashakada said all except one of the 12 councillors had at least two stands each, one residential and one industrial, which they allocated themselves.

One councillor had four stands, three of which he claimed he already had when he became a councillor in August 2008.

Mashakada said they would continue to look into this issue to verify his claims.

"We have made it clear to them that if any one of them gets more stands they will be dismissed from the party. With the one councillor, we are gong to carry out further investigations to verify the authenticity of his claims. We will not leave any stone unturned," he said.

Mashakada said the previous Zanu PF council led by Mayor Martin Dinha had passed a council resolution that each councillor should have five stands.

He was, however, quick to say MDC-T welcomed genuine probes on corruption, which are done professionally and are not politically motivated.

"The Bindura probe by Shamu smacks of political interference using the probe as a veil to much deeper political interests in the affairs of Bindura," Mashakada said.

After their investigations, he dismissed the other allegations, including the recruitment of 56 security officers which was necessary to protect council property; mismanagement of council affairs, whose accounts were last audited in 2005; and the abuse of public funds, whose revenue could not meet the salary bill.

Mashakada said there was no basis for the accusations leveled at the 16-month-old council, which has done more in the last 16 months than ever done by the past Zanu PF-led councils.

The council has bought two ambulances, several cars and sourced drugs for the council health institutions.

The last council led by Zanu PF, Mashakada said, had auctioned all vehicles and there was no ambulance in the town.

The team will be visiting Chegutu municipality today, where MDC councillors are alleged to have abused council funds for personal use at the expense of service delivery to residents and taxpayers.

Tsvangirai in December told councillors to shun corruption, saying that his party would not hesitate to weed out those involved.

Meanwhile, MDC-T has suspended its UK branch executive for allegedly defrauding the party of over 57 000 pounds.

This is the second time the party has sacked the UK executive after another was suspended in October 2007 on charges of misusing party funds.

The UK branch was the second largest to be closed after the South African executive was relieved of its duties for failing to account for donated funds.