Mnangagwa confronted over Lumumba

President Mnangagwa yesterday held candid discussions with captains of industry, retailers, bankers and consumers with a view to locate challenges and possible solutions to problems faced in production of goods and services. The no holds-barred discussions were held from 0830hrs to about 1230hrs at State House in Harare.

Journalists only covered President Mnangagwa's keynote address, before being asked to leave the interactive session between Government and business. The media were then invited for the closing remarks by the President.

Mnangagwa got a reality check on local business's frustrations over his government's ruinous policies and poor communication lines that have seen party proxies such Acie Lumumba make startling pronouncements on key matters.
This was after the state leader had invited executives for a crisis meeting at State House in the wake of a government impasse with business over pricing and goods availability.

Sources who attended the explosive meeting said business leaders took turns to express dissatisfaction with government's propensity to ambush them with unilateral decisions on far reaching matters and expect immediate compliance without questions asked.

Last week, Zanu-PF apologist Acie Lumumba, real name William Gerald Mutumanje, did not wait to have his appointment as Finance Ministry Communications Taskforce chair to be regularised when he poured out profusely on social media, claiming four named top central bank executives were among the mysterious lords behind Zimbabwe's multi-billion dollar black market foreign currency scandal.

The now axed Lumumba's knowledge of the goings-on within inner corridors of the country's apex bank were too startling for someone who has never been a state actor.

On his part, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Christopher Mugaga also confirmed this was also broached during the meeting with the President urged to rein in the discord which has seen government issues being deliberated anyhow.

"The ongoing confusion which has seen the likes of Acie Lumumba taking charge of making announcements on official issues was also raised as there is need to avoid associated confusion. But overally the discussion was fruitful," he said.

The uproar comes just under a week after Oil Expressers Association of Zimbabwe President, Busisa Moyo ripped into government for displaying half-hearted intentions to rebuild the struggling economy as often said by the Zanu-PF led administration and its apologists.

"We need to call a spade a spade gentlemen, I have often had government officials talking about Rwanda as an example but let us know that this (Rwanda) nation only achieved its current status after going through a meticulous planning system where they worked collectively to restrategise their economy," he said at a Harare business meeting.