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Mnangagwa, so what are you waiting for?

05 Mar 2018 at 13:48hrs | Views
Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended the deadline applicable to those who externalised money and assets by two weeks in the hope that the cold-hearted among them will mellow and do the right thing before the noose tightens around their necks.

From the recorded cases of externalisation, only 45 percent of the culprits have played ball, and the rest are playing "catch me if you can".

At the expiry of the two-week deadline next week, focus will shift to Mnangagwa's government as the nation rightfully follows how the new administration, accused of resembling old wine in new bottles, will deal with those playing hard to get.

Mnangagwa has already pronounced himself clearly on this matter.

When he introduced the three-month moratorium, which expired on February 28, he told those who cared to listen that the long arm of the law will catch up with offenders, regardless of their stations in society. He went further to say he will name and shame offenders.

But if there is one thing the Mnangagwa administration has been good at, it is saying the right things. The 100-day plan, which government has been harping about since it assumed power riding on the cocktails of the military, shows the devil has been in the implementation.

Its anti-corruption blitzkrieg has only seen members of the Generation 40 faction being hauled to the coals, among them Walter Mzembi, Samuel Undenge and Ignatius Chombo, and none in the Team Lacoste faction is yet to face the music.

There is even the curious case of Obert Mpofu who was reported to the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission and yet nothing is being done to investigate the allegations levelled against the former Mines minister who was in charge of the portfolio when $15 billion in diamond revenue was said to have been funnelled outside the country.

Recent reports suggest that even Team Lacoste-aligned Zanu-PF functionaries who are locked behind bars believe that they must now taste freedom now that the "political circumstances" have changed.

Mnangagwa must avoid falling into pitfalls that swallowed his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, who used corruption as a bait to recruit loyalists who, in the end, turned against him when they discovered that he was no longer of use to them. Being a good listener, the message has reached Mnangagwa's ears.

While in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last week, Mnangagwa said his government would not consider friendship in its fight against corruption as no one is above the law.

Addressing Zimbabweans based in the DRC, he said the vision of his administration was to ensure adherence to the rule of law. Well said Cde President.

So what are you waiting for?

Source - dailynews
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