‘Zim anti-graft drive losing steam’

TAURAI MANGUDHLA

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption campaign which has been at the core since his first installment soon after Operation Restore Legacy is mere symbolism as his government has no capacity to fight graft nor remain in power if it takes the scourge head-on, analysts say.

For a party that has ruled for 40 years of which corruption flourished, Zanu PF appears to have no capacity or genuine interest to fight graft.

Top Harare-based political scientist Eldred Masunungure said the Zanu PF party and government are deeply entrenched in corruption hence the laid back approach.

“You can’t expect any action from people who are deeply entrenched in the vice.

The question is who will bail the cat because all of them are neck-deep in corruption, from the top to the bottom,” Masunungure said in a telephone interview yesterday, adding Zanu PF thrives on graft.

“It talks about it but it dares not do anything to deal with the problem. It may mitigate like through for instance symbolic actions like the arrest of one or two high profile people, but it is symbolic.

“You are familiar with the term catch and release.

That is dictated by the reality that the people who have been arrested can spill the beans.

If (former Public service minister Prisca) Mupfumira was tried in a decent court, she could spill the beans, she would spill a lot that would entrap those who are at the centre of government,” Masunungure said, adding, as a result, Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF can’t mount a robust campaign and action-oriented campaign to deal with corruption.

Instead, the President and his party talk about an anticorruption fight day in and day out and do very little in that regard, Masunungure said.

Recently, party youth leaders Godfrey Tsenengamu and Lewis Matutu took a dig at the Zanu PF leadership for being in bed with cartels that were destroying the economy.

The duo, currently under suspension, also alleged state capture. Ironically, the two took a cue from Mnangagwa who threatened to name and shame those behind corruption in 2017 before releasing a list of individuals and corporates accused of externalising billions.

“The fight against corruption is merely symbolic and still has to be elevated to concrete action with people being dealt with decisively and rotting in jail.

There has to be a cost to corruption, so far there are more incentives than disincentives,” Masunungure said.

The political scientist added that the very survival of the Zanu PF regime is under threat if it fights corruption.

He said the cartels are untouchable as they have captured the politburo, central committee and Cabinet. Corruption, Masunungure said, is the glue that keeps Zanu PF together.

If removed, the party and its regime will collapse. “When you use corruption as the glue that binds the party structures and leadership to the lower ranks, everyone engages in some corruption in order to survive be it village, district, provincial or national level.

“So remove corruption, the party simply disintegrates. It’s an untouchable area and these people who wield cartel power are also untouchable because if you touch them you are also touching the very top of the party and government, threatening the whole regime and integration of the party.”

Outspoken independent MP for Norton Temba Mliswa also said the anti-corruption fight remains just lip service as real action is yet to be taken.

He said State capture is not about the President, but certain institutions of the State, for instance, the judiciary, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, ZRP, Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.

“There is definitely state capture, not just for the likes of (Sakunda’s) Kuda Tagwirei, it’s got white capital monopoly who control this country through corruption and because of that they have placed people in government whom they pay to protect their interests,” Mliswa told Business Times yesterday.

“Billy Rautenbach built houses where he has no title; I have publicly stated and given proof. There are a lot of reports from Parliament recommending people to be arrested and or investigated, but nothing has happened,” Mliswa said.

The Norton MP said there is need to build the capacity of investigators, judges and prosecutors to deal with sophisticated cases such as cybercrime.

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti said Zanu PF is not serious about fighting corruption because it is a huge beneficiary.

“You can’t send a mosquito to kill malaria,” he said yesterday.

“People who sell foreign currency are known, people who smuggle anything into or outside the country are known, it has been said in parliament and everywhere, but nothing has happened.”

Last week, Mliswa challenged Mnangagwa to strengthen “weak” State institutions in order to revive the economy, alleging State capture has taken root and crippled authorities from fighting corruption that is haemorrhaging the country while the majority of citizens languish in poverty.

Former president Robert Mugabe’s regime destroyed State institutions and the challenge, now, for Mnangagwa is to restore them and get the nation back on track, Mliswa said “The first republic destroyed institutions in this country and the homework the current government has is to be able to restore them to work because they are dysfunctional.

How do you get them to work? This is the homework that he has,” Mliswa told Business Times on the sidelines of his press conference at Media Centre in the capital.

“Probably the first five years, he was supposed to say I am going to put the institutions to work, after that the economy grows because there is no economy that grows without institutions being strong.

“Right now they are very weak and seem not to be playing their part. Corruption is rampant and there is unemployment and this is what we are faced with,” Mliswa added.

He said the most dangerous cartels in the country are “white monopoly capital” while blacks suffer, adding the whites have a grip on authorities, sponsoring moles which they plant in most key State institutions to further their interests.

After taking a dig at one of Zimbabwe’s top businessman Billy Rautenbach and Innscor Africa’s white shareholders for allegedly capturing the State, Mliswa singled out the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the National Prosecution Authority as among some of the State institutions captured by the white businessmen whom he also accused of being racist.