News / Local
Poisoning scare: Muguti speaks out
26 May 2021 at 06:30hrs | Views
HARARE provincial development coordinator (PDC) Tafadzwa Muguti, who has been reportedly under the weather after being poisoned by his nemeses for fighting land barons and corruption, yesterday vowed that he would not be intimidated and would continue busting graft despite threats to his life.
Muguti was appointed last year, but of late, he has been absent from office amid reports that he had been poisoned for exposing land barons.
He spoke for the first time yesterday following his return to work last month.
"I am not commenting on that (poisoning) issue, but what I can only tell you is because of our job, our lives are always under threat," Muguti told NewsDay.
"We are living in violent and politically toxic times, and my job comes with its consequences and all I can say is that we are protected by the Lord Almighty. We are not targeting individuals, we are targeting the wrongs being done by people and if we can fix that then we can go far," he said.
Muguti said his name had been abused by namedroppers who were viciously fighting him because they felt he had disturbed their "feeding trough".
"Let me be frank, my job as PDC has come under a lot of resistance because people feel we are removing them from their feeding trough. The abnormalities at the City of Harare had become the normal way of life.
"From the economic side, economic sabotage had become a way of life and so were land barons in the same manner as drugs are now viewed as a way of life. My job as a senior government official is to bring order in the province. I am not employed to make friends. I am employed to create a conducive working environment in the city and not to make friends. My job requires energy, I cannot please criminals," he said, adding that he believed in servant leadership.
"People try to even forge my signature in their deals, but that will all come to an end. Let us make corruption unattractive and call a spade a spade. We will descend on all economic crimes in the city."
Sources said Muguti was reportedly poisoned after he stepped on several land barons' toes, mostly those affiliated to the ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition MDC formations after the Justice Tendai Uchena land audit report stated that over US$3 billion worth of land was lost in a scam involving top politicians.
Muguti was appointed last year, but of late, he has been absent from office amid reports that he had been poisoned for exposing land barons.
He spoke for the first time yesterday following his return to work last month.
"I am not commenting on that (poisoning) issue, but what I can only tell you is because of our job, our lives are always under threat," Muguti told NewsDay.
"We are living in violent and politically toxic times, and my job comes with its consequences and all I can say is that we are protected by the Lord Almighty. We are not targeting individuals, we are targeting the wrongs being done by people and if we can fix that then we can go far," he said.
"Let me be frank, my job as PDC has come under a lot of resistance because people feel we are removing them from their feeding trough. The abnormalities at the City of Harare had become the normal way of life.
"From the economic side, economic sabotage had become a way of life and so were land barons in the same manner as drugs are now viewed as a way of life. My job as a senior government official is to bring order in the province. I am not employed to make friends. I am employed to create a conducive working environment in the city and not to make friends. My job requires energy, I cannot please criminals," he said, adding that he believed in servant leadership.
"People try to even forge my signature in their deals, but that will all come to an end. Let us make corruption unattractive and call a spade a spade. We will descend on all economic crimes in the city."
Sources said Muguti was reportedly poisoned after he stepped on several land barons' toes, mostly those affiliated to the ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition MDC formations after the Justice Tendai Uchena land audit report stated that over US$3 billion worth of land was lost in a scam involving top politicians.
Source - newsday
