Pressure on Mnangagwa

Published: 01 July 2019

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is under extreme pressure to act on Auditor-General (AG) Mildred Chiri's reports, which are exposing the rot in government.

This comes after Chiri released damning reports last week that points to sleaze and mismanagement of public funds in government, municipalities and parastatals.

In the past, former president Robert Mugabe's Executive failed to hold its bureaucrats accountable for abuse of taxpayer's money.

Mugabe's governance system was built on patronage whereby high-level corruption was rewarded rather than punished.

Following Mugabe's ouster in November 2017, there is a whiff of optimism that Mnangagwa could turn a new page by rooting out corruption in all its facets.

Mnangagwa has already made a commitment to eradicate corruption.

Yesterday, opposition political parties and analysts said there is need for government to ensure there is prosecution of all public officials exposed for corruption, mismanagement of public funds and poor corporate governance.

Obert Gutu, vice president of the MDC led by Thokozani Khupe said the party expects Mnangagwa to immediately crack the whip, saying the time for rhetoric is long gone.

"Zimbabweans are expecting concrete and decisive action to be taken against all corrupt elements within government," said Gutu.
"I am sure ED wants to leave a legacy of a reformist and tolerant president. This is now an excellent opportunity for him to prove his mettle by ruthlessly weeding out all corrupt officials within the public sector, starting from the Cabinet itself. People are watching and their patience is fast waning".

Gutu said corruption remains the elephant in the room in Zimbabwe.

"It's toxic, rampant, vapid and rabid. The auditor general's report is just the tip of the iceberg. Corruption is deeply embedded within both the public and private sectors," he added.

MDC secretary-general Chalton Hwende said while the contents of the AG's reports are worrisome, they confirmed the obvious.

"The report confirms what the MDC has been saying all along that corruption is the oxygen that keeps Zanu-PF alive. The sad part is that nothing will be done," said Hwende.

Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said the AG's reports should be handed over to law enforcement agents who must study the documents to see if any crimes have been committed.

He said Chiri's reports might as well be the starting point for Joram Gumbo, the minister responsible for monitoring government business and its delivery, since he doesn't have much in his plate.

"The report is an embarrassment to a government that speaks so much about anti-corruption and it's clear that if ED is to be taken seriously then heads must roll and Chikurubi prison's capacity must be increased to cater for the criminals among us," said Mukundu.

Another analyst Dewa Mavhinga said Mnangagwa must walk the talk in dealing with corruption.

"On dealing with corruption, if ED is serious then he must act decisively and let his actions demonstrate zero tolerance to corruption at all levels. Action speaks louder than words. He must begin with dealing with the corrupt big fish in Zanu-PF, once he does that everyone will know that he is serious. Charity must begin at home in Zanu-PF," said Mavhinga.
- dailynews

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