Opinion / Columnist
Mnangagwa replaces Mobutu Sese Seko as most corrupt African leader
06 Feb 2021 at 14:10hrs | Views
"If you steal, do not steal too much at a time. You may be arrested. Steal cleverly, little by little."
Shocking as it is, the above statement that apparently legitimises graft, is attributed to Mobutu Sese Seko, the late President of then Zaire now known as The Democratic Republic of Congo- DRC. At his death, the man was worth US$ 5 billion of ill- gotten wealth.
Interestingly, Mobutu's weird policy towards corruption is not different from that of the Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe which holds a strong belief that "stealing from the government or organisation is not a crime but self empowerment." Thieves share the same thoughts. Is it not?
Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo stand as good examples of how looters can bring down great countries to nothing in a short period of time.
DRC, considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals, estimated to be worth more than U.S. $24 trillion, is poor due to corruption and senseless conflicts.
Zimbabwe, which was once the bread basket of Africa has been turned into the basket case of Africa thanks to uncontrolled and unfettered corruption. Today Zimbabwe is the poor of the poorest, surviving on donations and handouts from good Samaritans.
President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has replaced Mabuto Sese Seko as the most corrupt leader in Africa.
The whole family, I mean the first family, is a family of looters. The whole government, I mean the government of Zimbabwe led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, is corrupt.The whole party, Zanupf, led by President Mnangagwa, is a party of corrupt thieves.
When it comes to corruption, like hyenas, the first family leads the pack in looting. Minerals like diamonds and gold are their target. A month hardly passes without a member of the first family being mentioned by the media in a scandal involving gold or PPEs.
They use relatives, business people and pilots as fronts to illegally smuggle the precious minerals out of the country to be sold in the black market in foreign countries and cash stashed in offshore accounts.
The president's wife Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son, Collins Mnangagwa, were fingered in a gold smuggling syndicate that got Zimbabwe Miners Federation President and Zanupf top official Henrietta Rushwaya arrested at Robert Mugabe International Airport in October last year while trying to smuggle out 6kg gold to Dubai.
Earlier in the year the same Collins Mnangagwa was implicated in a covid 19 scandal where his dodgy company sold PPEs to the Ministry of Health at inflated prices. For an example, face masks that normally cost US$0. 50c per unit were sold at US$60.00 per unit.
Two months ago another son of Mnangwa's, Tarirai David Mnangagwa, seized gold mining claims after the owners invited him to invest in the project. The poor miners learnt the hard way that you do not invite greedy and corrupt
Mnangagwas to invest in your project after mine claims were grabbed by Tarirai David Mnangagwa.
The gold smuggling syndicate is bigger than imagined as cabinet ministers, top Zanupf leaders, CIO and Army are also involved.
At the top of the list is President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, late Foreign Affairs Minister, Sibusiso Moyo, Mines Minister, Winston Chitando, State Security Minister, Owen Mudha Ncube, ZANUPF Acting Spokesman, Patrick Chinamasa, Reserve Bank Governor, John Mangudya, Commander of Zimbabwe defense Forces, Philip Valerio Sibanda, Businessman cum Mnangagwa front man, Kutakwashe Tagwirei and many others .
In Zimbabwe corruption is not limited to the political sector it spreads down to private and civic sectors. According to Transparency International Corruption Index released as resent as last week, Zimbabwe ranks 158 out of 180 countries. In 208 Transparency International director announced that Zimbabwe looses US$ 5 million to corruption everyday.
The following is a list of reported corruption scandals in Zimbabwe since 1980:
1) 1987 – Zisco Steel blast Furnace Scandal
2) 1987 – Air Zimbabwe Fokker Plane Scandal – $ 100 million
3) 1986 – National Railways Housing Scandal
4) 1988 – Willowgate Scandal
6) 1989 – ZRP Santana Scandal
7)1994 – War Victims Compensation Scandal
8)1995 – GMB Grain Scandal
9)1996 – VIP Housing Scandal
10) 1998 – Boka Banking Scandal
11) 1998 – ZESA YTL Soltran Scandal
12) 1998 – Telecel Scandal
13) 1998 – Harare City Council Refuse Tender Scandal
14) 1999 – Housing Loan Scandal
15) 1999 – Noczim Scandal
16) 1999 – Mnangagwa DRC timber and diamond Un reported scandals
17) 1999 – GMB Scandal
18) 1999 – Ministry of water and rural development Chinese tender scandal
19) 1999 – VIP Land Grab Scandal
20) 2001 – Harare Airport Scandal
21) 2008-2014 - Airport Road Scandal
22) 2016 - Mnangagwa Command Agriculture Scandal
23) 2018 -Zesa scam Involving Samuel Undenge's criminal abuse
of office
24) 2020 Zimbabwe first family gold smuggling scandal- involving first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son Collins Mnangagwa.
It is because of this brazen looting and corruption that will never stop, genocide against Matabeles, tribal marginalisation, oppression, dehumanisation and humiliation of Matabele people in Zimbabwe that has forced MLO to call for the urgent restoration of Matabeleland state.
It is impossible to live with thieves who loot state resources day and night, destroying the economy, condemning us to permanent poverty, putting our lives in danger in times of pandemics such as covid 19 and famines.
It is impossible to live with genocidists who find pleasure in murdering and rapping our innocent and defenceless mothers, sisters and children.
It is impossible to live with tribalists who marginalise us politically, economically, educationally and all spheres of live.
We shall restore the statehood of Matabeleland whatever it takes. If it means taking up arms to liberate ourselves then let the bushes and mountains in Mashonaland aka Zimbabwe and Matabeleland be occupied by armed Matabele freedom fighters!
Izenzo kungemazwi!
Israel Dube
MLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs
Shocking as it is, the above statement that apparently legitimises graft, is attributed to Mobutu Sese Seko, the late President of then Zaire now known as The Democratic Republic of Congo- DRC. At his death, the man was worth US$ 5 billion of ill- gotten wealth.
Interestingly, Mobutu's weird policy towards corruption is not different from that of the Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe which holds a strong belief that "stealing from the government or organisation is not a crime but self empowerment." Thieves share the same thoughts. Is it not?
Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo stand as good examples of how looters can bring down great countries to nothing in a short period of time.
DRC, considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals, estimated to be worth more than U.S. $24 trillion, is poor due to corruption and senseless conflicts.
Zimbabwe, which was once the bread basket of Africa has been turned into the basket case of Africa thanks to uncontrolled and unfettered corruption. Today Zimbabwe is the poor of the poorest, surviving on donations and handouts from good Samaritans.
President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has replaced Mabuto Sese Seko as the most corrupt leader in Africa.
The whole family, I mean the first family, is a family of looters. The whole government, I mean the government of Zimbabwe led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, is corrupt.The whole party, Zanupf, led by President Mnangagwa, is a party of corrupt thieves.
When it comes to corruption, like hyenas, the first family leads the pack in looting. Minerals like diamonds and gold are their target. A month hardly passes without a member of the first family being mentioned by the media in a scandal involving gold or PPEs.
They use relatives, business people and pilots as fronts to illegally smuggle the precious minerals out of the country to be sold in the black market in foreign countries and cash stashed in offshore accounts.
The president's wife Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son, Collins Mnangagwa, were fingered in a gold smuggling syndicate that got Zimbabwe Miners Federation President and Zanupf top official Henrietta Rushwaya arrested at Robert Mugabe International Airport in October last year while trying to smuggle out 6kg gold to Dubai.
Earlier in the year the same Collins Mnangagwa was implicated in a covid 19 scandal where his dodgy company sold PPEs to the Ministry of Health at inflated prices. For an example, face masks that normally cost US$0. 50c per unit were sold at US$60.00 per unit.
Two months ago another son of Mnangwa's, Tarirai David Mnangagwa, seized gold mining claims after the owners invited him to invest in the project. The poor miners learnt the hard way that you do not invite greedy and corrupt
Mnangagwas to invest in your project after mine claims were grabbed by Tarirai David Mnangagwa.
The gold smuggling syndicate is bigger than imagined as cabinet ministers, top Zanupf leaders, CIO and Army are also involved.
At the top of the list is President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, late Foreign Affairs Minister, Sibusiso Moyo, Mines Minister, Winston Chitando, State Security Minister, Owen Mudha Ncube, ZANUPF Acting Spokesman, Patrick Chinamasa, Reserve Bank Governor, John Mangudya, Commander of Zimbabwe defense Forces, Philip Valerio Sibanda, Businessman cum Mnangagwa front man, Kutakwashe Tagwirei and many others .
In Zimbabwe corruption is not limited to the political sector it spreads down to private and civic sectors. According to Transparency International Corruption Index released as resent as last week, Zimbabwe ranks 158 out of 180 countries. In 208 Transparency International director announced that Zimbabwe looses US$ 5 million to corruption everyday.
The following is a list of reported corruption scandals in Zimbabwe since 1980:
1) 1987 – Zisco Steel blast Furnace Scandal
2) 1987 – Air Zimbabwe Fokker Plane Scandal – $ 100 million
3) 1986 – National Railways Housing Scandal
4) 1988 – Willowgate Scandal
6) 1989 – ZRP Santana Scandal
7)1994 – War Victims Compensation Scandal
8)1995 – GMB Grain Scandal
9)1996 – VIP Housing Scandal
10) 1998 – Boka Banking Scandal
11) 1998 – ZESA YTL Soltran Scandal
12) 1998 – Telecel Scandal
13) 1998 – Harare City Council Refuse Tender Scandal
14) 1999 – Housing Loan Scandal
15) 1999 – Noczim Scandal
16) 1999 – Mnangagwa DRC timber and diamond Un reported scandals
17) 1999 – GMB Scandal
18) 1999 – Ministry of water and rural development Chinese tender scandal
19) 1999 – VIP Land Grab Scandal
20) 2001 – Harare Airport Scandal
21) 2008-2014 - Airport Road Scandal
22) 2016 - Mnangagwa Command Agriculture Scandal
23) 2018 -Zesa scam Involving Samuel Undenge's criminal abuse
of office
24) 2020 Zimbabwe first family gold smuggling scandal- involving first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son Collins Mnangagwa.
It is because of this brazen looting and corruption that will never stop, genocide against Matabeles, tribal marginalisation, oppression, dehumanisation and humiliation of Matabele people in Zimbabwe that has forced MLO to call for the urgent restoration of Matabeleland state.
It is impossible to live with thieves who loot state resources day and night, destroying the economy, condemning us to permanent poverty, putting our lives in danger in times of pandemics such as covid 19 and famines.
It is impossible to live with genocidists who find pleasure in murdering and rapping our innocent and defenceless mothers, sisters and children.
It is impossible to live with tribalists who marginalise us politically, economically, educationally and all spheres of live.
We shall restore the statehood of Matabeleland whatever it takes. If it means taking up arms to liberate ourselves then let the bushes and mountains in Mashonaland aka Zimbabwe and Matabeleland be occupied by armed Matabele freedom fighters!
Izenzo kungemazwi!
Israel Dube
MLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs
Source - Israel Dube
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