BREAKING: Mawarire says Mnangagwa now part of the criminals

Jealousy Mawarire, former spokesperson to the late President Robert Mugabe, has launched a blistering attack on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, accusing him of surrendering executive power to a clique of close family members and business associates allegedly engaged in widespread corruption and looting.

In a hard-hitting interview with South Africa's SABC News, Mawarire claimed that Zimbabwe is now being run by "surrogate presidents" who are making key decisions on Mnangagwa's behalf, amid allegations that the President is no longer fully in control of the state apparatus.

He named prominent figures, including controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Finance Ministry permanent secretary George Guvamatanga, investment broker Simbarashe Chinyemba, Central Bank Governor John Mangudya, and Varaidzo Zifudzi, as Mnangagwa's proxies. According to Mawarire, these individuals are allegedly under investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) for their role in the partial sale of Kuvimba Mining House.


"The criminals are no longer around the President," Mawarire said. "The President is part of the criminals. These criminals have been wreaking havoc in the financial market, looting state-owned enterprises. The biggest sanction in Zimbabwe is the President of the country."

Mawarire's comments come amid growing public frustration and recent calls for mass stay-aways led by outspoken war veteran Blessed Geza. He described Zimbabweans as "agitated," citing the severe decline in public services due to rampant corruption.

"Our hospitals are using cardboard boxes and cello tape as bandages," Mawarire said. "Victims of road traffic accidents don't even have access to plasters. It is that dire. This is purely because of the corruption happening around the President."

Mawarire also echoed unverified claims made by Geza that President Mnangagwa is suffering from vascular dementia — a condition, he alleged, that has left the 82-year-old leader prone to memory lapses and manipulation.

"Those around him, including his wife, children, and business partners, are taking advantage of his mental condition to push corrupt deals using his name and signature," Mawarire claimed. "They are even making military deployments and dismissing ministers without his direct input."

While the government has yet to formally respond to these allegations, they add to mounting scrutiny over the opaque operations of Zimbabwe's political and economic elite, and the growing influence of private actors in public affairs.

ZACC has not issued any statement regarding the purported investigation into the five individuals mentioned by Mawarire. However, civil society organisations and opposition parties have long accused the Commission of selective application of the law and shielding politically connected figures.

Mawarire's remarks signal a deepening rift within Zimbabwe's political class, as internal dissent and economic hardship continue to fuel public discontent under Mnangagwa's leadership.