'Linking Mnangagwa to graft meant to spark protests'

THE government yesterday came out guns blazing, saying people falsely linking President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his family to corrupt individuals are trying to provoke Zimbabweans to embark on anti-government
protests.
This comes after First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and one of her sons, Collins, were linked to a recent attempted gold smuggling case which led to the arrest of controversial Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) boss Henrietta Rushwaya and a number of State security agents.

In a statement last night, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: "These malicious reports that seek to link the president… and his family to corrupt individuals are by no means a coincidence; rather they are well-coordinated attacks on the system, which is intended to agitate Zimbabweans into demonstrations and an uprising.

"Predictions by the country's detractors to the effect that the economy would implode by year end have been shown to be wishful thinking; on the contrary, the country has achieved macroeconomic stability and tamed inflation much to the disappointment of purveyors of doom.

"From the onset, the Second Republic pronounced that it would prioritise economic growth and development through a reform agenda that is clearly articulated in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme. This reform agenda, which is a deliberate shift from the yesteryear way of running government and the country, is stimulating  economic growth and stabilising the macroeconomic situation."

She said the government's target was to build a new Zimbabwe based on honesty, transparency, accountability and hard work, which is different from the late former President Robert Mugabe's regime. Mutsvangwa said prior to Mnangagwa becoming president, corruption had spread unchecked.

"This criminality gave rise to persons in the public and private sector accruing wealth corruptly at the expense of the nation at large," she added.

Mutsvangwa said those who were using the president's name to commit crimes would be arrested without fear or favour. All this comes after the first lady and Collins dismissed claims that they were the owners of the seized gold, saying if there was evidence on allegations made by Rushwaya's accomplice, Gift Karanda, that Auxillia was involved in last week's attempted smuggling, police were free to publish their findings.

Karanda is facing similar charges with Rushwaya and allegedly mentioned the first lady and Collins' names in a bid to get the former Zifa chief executive released.