Didymus Mutasa hoist by own petard

Former Zanu-PF secretary for administration and Minister of State for National Security, Didymus Mutasa, recently made headlines for being so broke to the extent of struggling to pay school fees for his children and to settle huge bills owed to various entities.

There have been reports in the media, including The Herald, about how Mutasa is being hounded by various people and entities he owes money and has had properties attached.

This week, Mutasa gave an interview to a daily newspaper, mourning his predicament. He owes power utility some $70 000 and it's haunting him.

"I can't pay them (Zesa) with nothing. It is true that they say I owe them about $70 000 and I will not be able to pay it because I don't have that kind of money and will never be able to get it. "I am lucky here that I depend on borehole water and if I was using Harare water, I would not be able to pay, I am poverty stricken," he said.

"What is troubling me the most though is how it accrued to that amount because that is what could accrue to the Rusape local authority for a whole year and one wonders how all that accrued for one person? "I am telling you the truth and it's all because of the economic failure and very soon we might as well fail to pay for our food.

"I am not rich because unlike others, I did not even steal a pen when I left Government and all that I was supposed to leave behind was properly accounted for. "You are probably one of the first people that I have told my problems and one of the greatest ones is honesty," he added.

That is a classic tale of a fall from grace. What is outstanding and profoundly shocking about Mutasa's tale is not the fact that he is broke, many before him have tasted a life of luxury, only to sink back into oblivion and poverty after a few high-flying years.

No, Mutasa's case is intriguing by way of the manner he seeks to blame his current predicament on his alleged honest and corruption-free tenure while in Government. What a laugh!

It is an open secret in the country that at the height of his political career, when he was Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Mutasa , according to a Sunday News report in 2015, improperly parcelled out at least 15 A2 farms.

He allegedly continued the "allocations" even when he was re-assigned to other ministries. Over the following years, Mutasa allegedly parcelled out farms to his wives, girlfriends, relatives and friends. Some of the land was given to nephews and nieces who live in Europe.

The list of farms Mutasa reportedly hoarded include : Wazvari Farm, Mona Farm, Lonecope Farm, Mutambara Farm, Rungutai , Homewood Farm, Folkington Farm, Welkom Farm, Chimbi Farm, Zingondi Farm, Nyafaro Community Farm and Dyfreene Farm, to name just a few. Mutasa was also accused of pocketing monthly rentals amounting to $20 000 from tenants at eight properties owned by zanu-pf in Rusape.

The aforementioned was in all probability just a tip of the iceberg of Mutasa's shenanigans in Government. That he should now turn around and claim that he never stole a pen is hypocrisy at best and mental disorder at worst.

While he may have not stolen "even a pen" when he left Government, as he claims, Mutasa stole much more in the form of land and properties. Secondly, for Mutasa to seek to lay the blame for his failure to invest wisely in life on someone else is quite sad and unfortunate, more so for his children. It is common cause that in life, one has to make hay while the sun shines as they say.

Mutasa failed to invest his salary as a minister and revenue from businesses he had and that is why he finds himself down and out today, not because he didn't steal as he alleges. In fact some would argue that he stole plenty and squandered his loot on fair women.

One good thing that did come out of Mutasa was that he was quitting politics for good. Perhaps had he done so sooner, he would have escaped the clams of poverty for political intelligence was never his best suit to start with.

His track record as a Government minister leaves a lot to be desired and the rest in shambles, while his foray into opposition politics is nothing short of a disaster.

In accordance with the ingrained belief that one should not kick a man when he is down, this writer will refrain from emphasising that Mutasa is getting his comeuppance for his shenanigans while in Government and sedately say, what has befallen the gentleman is a sad reality.

This writer sincerely hopes Mutasa takes a lesson from this episode (if it's not too late) and invest his earnings shrewdly in future.

Same gentleman should also depart from the abhorrent habit of blaming everyone and everything else for his demise, only falling short of calling himself a martyr.