The ZANU PF Youth League recently pulled a shocker when it accused some party bigwigs, ministers and business people of corruption, at a press conference that implies ‘naming and shaming corrupt senior officials.’
As the nation was still in dissection of the exposure, President Emmerson Mnangagwa in response told a tense and heated politburo meeting that he would constitute a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations presented by the youth league, with a view of taking appropriate action.
While his gesture to dig into the allegations is commendable to the effect that those who were fingered should clear their names before a commission, the announcement leaves some grey areas.
Questions are beginning to come concerning the need or logic of establishing another commission of inquiry when there is a commission already in place to deal with corruption matters, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Mnangagwa also has a so-called Special Anti-Corruption Unit in his highest office, the Office of the President and Cabinet, mandated with the same task, but he is determined to set up another commission.
Is it not a case of time buying by the President who may not stomach seeing corrupt members of his inner circle in prison gub? Will he indeed see to it that justice is allowed to take its course, with those who would have been convicted sent to jail? If not, what will the citizens and the world at large think about him and his self proclaimed ostensible dedication to eradicating corruption?
Perceptions either in the eyes of the public or any other eye matter in politics.
Mnangagwa suffers from public trust, his competence to fight corruption has been questioned at the court of public jury. Is he his own man, or is he merely a place holder, a front face for cartels in the shadows wielding unelected power?
Mnangagwa stands as guilty as charged for dining with the same alleged corrupt and criminal elements that had been accused of graft. When the coup that ended his predecessor Robert Mugabe’s rule was unfolding, the reason for it being carried out was purported to be rooting out corrupt officials. Years down the line Mnangagwa still dines and wines with the same people.
Many have questioned; after having had promised to fight graft, why did the President went on to promote to position of authority those allegedly responsible for the scourge?
Despite the number of the allegations, Mnangagwa has never prosecuted a single case to its logical conclusion save for Samuel Undenge, the nearest he has dealt with corruption is when he employed ‘a catch and release’ like in the case of former minister of health David Parirenyatwa among others.
Corruption, corruption, corruption, the economic and social ill that Mnangagwa himself confessed to be deep and wide in his administration, is it institutionalised, state organised/ authorised, or state systemised condoned stealing?
Is he part of the rot? Can he prosecute the Queen Bee? Or will he just employ the ‘catch and release’ as tactical retreat? Is he going to continue kicking the can down the road, until the issue dies a natural death? The list is long, and the questions are endless, only time will tell!
