Mugabe demanded corruption evidence … Has accusers developed cold feet?

By Daniel Chigundu

WHEN Zanu PF held its lavish sixth National Congress with pomp and funfair last December, President Robert Mugabe took advantage of the meeting to denounce massive and well orchestrated corruption that has ravaged the country, and also demanded evidence of massive corruption cases that have been leveled against his lieutenants some of whom have already faced the boot, or the dreaded axe from the revolutionary party.

So horrible is the intensity and magnitude of corruption in the country that Transparency International last year in one of their reports ranked Zimbabwe among the 25 most corrupt countries of the world, while other organisations have also expressed deep concern over the situation.

These rankings do not auger well with most investors and financiers which the country is badly trying to lure.

The President’s stance during the congress gave the nation some sense of hope that now the cancerous behavior that has dragged the country down the abyss was now being acted upon and surely it was only a matter of time before the usually reliable Zimbabwe Republic Police get their hands on the corrupt officials.

What gave the nation hope is not the president’s speech alone, but also the vigor and energy with which the accusers used to claim that they have overwhelming evidence, through witnesses, some of it on video, audio and even on documents.

We were made to believe that some of these fly-by-night elites would soon taste the medicine given to those who choose to be selfish with the povo’s allocation of resources, but now we have passed the third quarter of 2015 with no one having been arrested.

As time continues to tick-tock with no arrests having been made and some of the accused making a lot of noise in the media more than before, the nation is now beginning to ask whether there really was evidence or it was just another page of dirty politics that normally characterise the build-up to every elective congress.

Or could it be a fulfillment of the notion that says jails or prisons were designed and made with the poor in mind, because we have seen how quick, cases involving the poor shoplifters or handbag snatchers are dealt with, that in no time the accused are sent to jail for their misdeeds, but those who steal millions still walk free and never come near jails and some even have the audacity to dare the police to come and arrest them.

Addressing delegates last December President Mugabe said anyone found on the wrong side of the law will likely lose his post and also face prosecution.

 “…Vakaita mhosva chaidzo dzecorruption hwabuda humbowo hwakakwana, vachatongwa. Ruzivo rwatinenge tapihwa kana wanga uri minister, civil servant, basa rinobva rapera. Tipei humbowo hwakakwana (those that are fingered in corrupt practices if overwhelming evidence is presented they will be prosecuted. When we receive this evidence even if you were a minister or civil servant you will lose your job. So give us overwhelming evidence of those corruption cases),” said Mugabe.

There is no doubt the president is a man of his words and on most occasions he has lived up to his words and with Joice Mujuru and other officials believed to be from her cabal having been already shown the door from government and party, we thought by now we would have seen those accused of serious fraud and corruption also being dragged to our courts.

Some of us with wild minds were already imagining ourselves scrambling to enter the courts to get a glimpse of the officials sitting in the dock, but alas they are still roaming the streets in their expensive cars, while we are walking along the pavements as usual.

Could it be that the president was lied to or misled, or is it that someone is sleeping on duty, or were the accusations really based on truth or was it a well choreographed smear campaign. Have the accusers develop cold feet, or is it that the police are still investigating and compiling charge sheets, these are the questions which we now have and unfortunately no one will answer anytime soon.

We have read in the media of how the former Vice President Joice Mujuru was going to be arrested some many weeks ago, which slowly turned to months and now a quarters, but she is still as free as a bird in the sky, what is happening?

Industry and Trade minister Mike Bimha told delegates at the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) awards dinner in January that the country has to work a lot in terms of trying to spruce up its battered image if there are hopes of attracting investors.

Zimbabwe is going through trying times economically which has seen most big industries closing shop or downsizing and economic commentators have heaped blame on corrupt officials who are bent on enriching their pockets at the expense of citizens.

So with all the cases of corruption that have been leveled against former Zanu PF and government officials, a question that is on a lot of peoples’ lips is whether there really is enough evidence that can warrant prosecution .

Will former Vice President Joice Mujuru be arrested, if she is not arrested, then what will become of the many accusations that have been leveled against her by alleged enemies in a dog-eat-dog type of factional fights.

Former Energy and Power Development Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire and his Deputy Munacho Mutezo have also been fingered in corrupt practices and abuse of office, but then why is it taking long to bring them before the courts to answer their charges.

Why have these corruption cases reported to the media more than to the police if there truly is overwhelming evidence as we are made to believe.

And could it be not that those holding on to this important evidence are afraid to release it because they themselves played a role or benefited from the alleged corruption and it has now dawned on them that they maybe shooting their own feet.

Have we not become blind to the extent that we are now using the scarce state resources to help fund fights involving friends who have fallen-out with each other when we ourselves have no role or benefit from the result of the fight?

Are we not having a situation where the corrupt are being set up to catch the corrupt? Only time will tell.

Since the removal of Mujuru and her alleged cabal, what have we benefited as citizens, or has anything other than the bonuses and pay-dates of civil servants changed in the country, is it not the right time to say enough of this Mujuru nonsense.