Mnangagwa’s 850 million repatriation is cheap talk, No criminals arrested

ZwNews Chief Correspondent

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (ED) has claimed that of the 1.4 billion dollars  that had been illegally externalised, at least 850 million has been repatriated back home.

Addressing the 31st Ordinary Session of The African Union, whose theme was focused on fighting corruption, Mnangagwa expressed gratitude that his efforts to bring back the externalised currency were bearing fruit.

Mnangagwa told the delegates last Sunday, that as part of his effort to combat corruption, he has established special Anti-Corruption Courts and a new Anti-Corruption Prosecuting Unity in his office.

He described corruption as an enemy of development and progress and said it should be dealt with at all cost if meaningful economic progress is to be achieved.

However, some political and social analysts have lambasted Mnangagwa for being a preacher who doesn’t practise what he preaches. They say the amount the President is bragging about is just a drop in the ocean, as compared with how much Zimbabwe has lost through corruption.

They say instead of being boastful about the returned 850 million, Mnangagwa should in-fact be mourning for the loss and putting up stern measures to recover the monies, as well as bringing the culprits to book.

Meanwhile, Jairos Mangare, a social commentator says ED should be serious in dealing with corruption, by bringing those who are known and/ or fingered in acts of graft under investigation, so that those who are innocent are cleared by the courts, while those who are guilty are made to face the music.

“The amount the President is bragging about is too little to beat the drum for, imagine the more than 15 billion that when missing, not to mention the other millions allegedly lost to corruption in various sectors of the economy.

850 million is just a drop in the ocean, that doesn’t warrants bragging for, especially in the face of missing billions,” he says.

A political commentator Elder Mabhunu, told ZwNwes.com in a telephone interview that the President is not being sincere in his dealing with corruption. On the setting up of an Anti-Corruption unit in the President’s Office, Mabhunu said the problem with Zimbabwe’s corruption is not lack of courts to deal with the menace, but it is the political will to fight corruption which is lacking.

“It not about setting up a unit in the Office of the President, we have the Anti-Corruption Commission with the mandate to deal with all acts of corruption, there is no point in creating another unit. What for?

Mnangagwa should not duplicate efforts, what he needs to do is just bring the culprits to book and those found innocent have their names cleared by the courts, while the guilty ones are confined behind bars.

“Every person is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the court of law, and where there is smoke there could be some fire, so why protecting someone fingered in corruption?

“Let the courts be the ones to declare him/her innocent,” he said.

Mabhunu said the current situation in which the innocent suffer while the guilty enjoy should be reversed.  

Be that as it may, since coming into the highest office, ED has been preaching his government’s commitment in fighting corruption, however, concerns has been raised over his lack of real action on the ground. Mnangagwa’s family members, close political allies and some top officials in Zanu-PF and his cabinet have in one way or the other been fingered in corrupt deals; and no meaningful action has been taken. zwnews