Fears grow over drought relief fund looting

Concerns are mounting that politically connected "tenderpreneurs" linked to Zanu-PF could position themselves to benefit from drought-relief funds as Zimbabwe braces for a potentially severe El Niño-induced drought.

Civil society organisations and analysts have warned that emergency funding could once again become a source of enrichment for politically connected individuals, repeating corruption patterns witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, a multi-million-dollar procurement scandal erupted after then Health minister Obadiah Moyo awarded a contract for test kits and personal protective equipment to Dubai-registered Drax International without going through a public tender process.

The alleged abuse extended beyond the procurement of medical supplies.

A ZiG600 million (US$25 million) fund established to cushion vulnerable citizens during the lockdown was also reportedly misappropriated. A subsequent parliamentary report exposed what it described as "damning irregularities", including a case in which an unnamed company was allegedly paid more than US$9 million — about three times the value of the services provided.

Politically connected businesses have also secured lucrative government contracts in sectors including agriculture, energy, healthcare and road construction.

With forecasts indicating an 80% to 90% probability of El Niño conditions during the 2026/27 rainy season, Zimbabwe, southern Zambia and southern Malawi have been identified as areas facing particularly high risks.

Against this backdrop, analysts fear the anticipated drought response could create another opportunity for politically connected businesses to profit from public resources.

Last week, presidential investment adviser Paul Tungwarara said his Prevail Group of Companies had expanded its fleet for the national rollout of solar-powered boreholes as part of preparations for the anticipated drought.

Tungwarara has previously secured multi-million-dollar government contracts, including the Presidential Borehole Scheme, which critics say has failed to reach a significant proportion of its intended beneficiaries.

Under the Presidential War Veterans' Borehole Scheme, his company committed to drilling 35 000 boreholes at the homes of war veterans.

Before that programme was completed, Tungwarara launched the Presidential War Veterans' Housing Scheme, which proposed constructing modern homes for war veterans.

Australia-based analyst Reason Wafawarova said Zimbabwe's history of disaster response contained repeated warnings that national emergencies could become lucrative opportunities for politically connected individuals.

"Tenderpreneurs do not normally acquire extraordinary access to public resources through entrepreneurial brilliance alone," Wafawarova said.

"They thrive where officials, political networks and business interests intersect – and where the people entrusted with protecting national resources may themselves be facilitating the extraction."

He called for emergency procurement to remain transparent, with contracts and beneficial ownership disclosed and prices independently scrutinised.

"Payments [should be] subjected to real-time audit and post-disbursement verification," he said.

Analyst Reuben Mbofana said transparency, accountability and independent oversight were critical to preventing the abuse of drought-relief funds.

"We cannot wait until money has been stolen before asking questions," Mbofana said.

He called for the public disclosure of all drought-relief allocations, disbursements and beneficiaries.

"Citizens have a right to know how much money has been received, which programmes it is financing and who is receiving contracts," he said.

Mbofana also urged authorities to ensure that procurement remained genuinely competitive and transparent, arguing that emergencies should not be used to bypass safeguards and favour politically connected companies.

He further called for stronger protection for whistleblowers, journalists and citizens who expose suspected corruption.

Analyst Vivid Gwede said Parliament should be involved in vulnerability assessments and exercise oversight over drought-relief and other disaster-response programmes.

"This will also ensure all vulnerable groups are assisted," Gwede said.

Opposition politician Gift Ostallos Siziba warned that Zimbabwe risked turning every national crisis into an opportunity for a politically connected elite to profit from public resources.

"We need full transparency on every dollar allocated, who gets the contracts, for how much, what is being delivered and who ultimately benefits," Siziba said.

He called for independent audits to be mandatory and for those found abusing drought-relief funds to face consequences.

Analyst Rejoice Ngwenya, however, expressed scepticism that existing oversight mechanisms could prevent corruption.

"It's a futile exercise," Ngwenya said, arguing that "there is no parliamentary committee that can immunise drought relief from corruption."