Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF using sanctions as excuse for corruption

Moses Mzila Ndlovu says the Zanu-PF government is heavily profiting from corruption, with the elite externalising funds out of the country and investing them elsewhere rather than in social services, all the while deceiving the Zimbabwean people into believing that sanctions are to blame for their failure.

Ndlovu, the Deputy National Leader of the Freedom Alliance party, said Zimbabwean government officials were complaining about sanctions because they could not utilise Western facilities like banking and buying properties to siphon "corruptly made" money.

He further claimed Zanu-PF was using sanctions as a "perennial" excuse to declare their failure to deliver on electoral promises while ironically their elite engaged in business deals with high-profile individuals in the West.

Ndlovu's statements came after the Zimbabwean government slammed efforts by the United States (US) to revise the country's 20-year-old sanctions, narrowing on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his wife Auxilia, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and a few believed to be their business connections.

The Zimbabwean government, in a statement released on Wednesday, said it "cannot be expected to thank or be grateful to President (Joe) Biden and the US for announcing palliative measures towards finally rescinding an illegality" and instead called for the "total" and "unconditional" removal of the "so-called targeted sanctions, which in reality are country sanctions."

However, Ndlovu, a former Co-Minister of National Healing and Integration during the Government of National Unity, said the irony was that Zanu-PF complained of sanctions yet some of its elites were externalising money from corruption.

"Why do Zanu-PF elites expect people to come and invest in Zimbabwe when they have no confidence this country is stable enough politically or economically to be able to invest in their externalization of stolen money or stolen gold here?" Ndlovu questioned.

"Zanu elites have no faith in their own country and people must see this duplicity. They brazenly steal public funds to externalize them and say they are on sanctions. Sanctions to do what?"

The opposition politician stated that the Zanu-PF government is lying about the effects of sanctions because they went into electioneering, claiming they would deliver while knowing they had people who were targeted for sanctions by the West.

"How can 12 people (nine people and three entities) be Zimbabwe unless they want to say these 12 people are Zimbabwe?" Ndlovu asked.

He added that some business interests of Zanu-PF members were not affected by being listed on America's targeted list.

"We need to understand as citizens of this country that these people have been lying. The Zanu-PF party has been lying to the public that they are unable to improve on health facilities, provide medical materials, provide schools with adequate learning materials and well-remunerated teachers, to repair or construct roads and look after the country as a result of sanctions. It's a lie," Ndlovu said.

"The Zanu-PF government has taken advantage of people and indoctrinated them by continuously feeding them lies."

According to Ndlovu, the Zanu-PF regime wants access to Western amenities, but the West refuses to allow them to steal money from their people and hide it in their countries.

"Zanu wants their banking facilities, buy properties in those countries where they siphon money from the country and stash it in their foreign banks. That's corruption," he said.

As an example, the former minister claimed some government officials have bought properties in South Africa and also run businesses there away from Zimbabwe.

"South Africa is really a backyard of Zimbabwe in terms of stashing or hiding stolen public funds that have been converted into property," Ndlovu claimed.