Opinion / Columnist
So I can also attend a meeting between Mnangagwa and a visiting head of state?
01 Jul 2024 at 21:09hrs | Views
I honestly had no idea that President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa afforded ordinary citizens what are termed ‘participatory interactive platforms’.
According to Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, "this platform allows occasional interactive sessions with everyone in each and every district in our country, which also allows many other political players to be able to interact with the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief and the Head of State and Government."
In other words, this is something of an ‘open-door policy’ where Mnangagwa permits ordinary citizens to meet with him.
Muswere went on to say, "they [interactive sessions] have allowed young people, traditional leaders, business people and many other religious leaders and all Zimbabweans across the country, to be able to interact with His Excellency the President openly, under the banner of transparency in terms of nation building."
From Muswere’s press statement, he attempted to portray this as the platform that has been used and abused by certain characters for name dropping - by magnifying their social, political and economic standing - to enable their corrupt activities.
Although the Information Minister did not specifically mention anyone by name, it is undeniable that controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo was on his mind.
This is the man who has been pictured with Mnangagwa at his official residence (State House) on several occasions - and has been fingered in a number of scandalous multi-million-dollar deals.
These include a US$100 million tender with the ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) for the supply of election material and equipment - whose costs were inflated by a whooping 235 percent.
He was also involved in a 2015 questionable US$5 million ZESA (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority) agreement for the construction of a 100MW solar plant in Gwanda.
Up to today, the solar plant is nowhere to be seen.
In an audio recording that went viral after a fallout between Chivayo and his partners in the ZEC deal, Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, he (Chivayo) bragged that he had the president firmly in his grip.
This close association with Mnangagwa is what is generally believed to have opened many doors for Chivayo - particularly in securing government tenders without even following proper procurement procedures.
Nonetheless, Muswere wants us to believe that there was never really any close relationship between the two (Chivayo and Mnangagwa), but that the youthful businessman was merely abusing the ‘interactive platforms’ offered by the president.
Really, Muswere!
Please do not make me laugh
This ridiculous assertion would have been hilarious had the resultant looting of national resources not led to the impoverishment of millions of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Surely, how can the association between Chivayo and Mnangagwa simply be dismissed as ‘occasional interactive sessions’?
Are we to honestly believe that these ‘occasional interactive sessions’ with the president also include being part of a meeting with a visiting head of state?
Did we not watch in astonishment as Chivayo posed for photographs with Mnangagwa and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto in April this year?
Then, during that same period, Chivayo was spotted at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Airport welcoming the president.
In fact, he was first in the line of senior government officials waiting at the airport - a place specially reserved for the two vice presidents.
Since Muswere wants the nation to believe that this was all part of Mnangagwa’s ‘occasional interactive sessions’ - which are availed to every citizen - am I to assume that even I can attend a meeting between a visiting head of state and Mnangagwa, as well as welcoming him at the airport?
I think not!
We are not fools, Minister Muswere.
Even Professor Jonathan Moyo, during his spin doctoring days, would not have spinned the association between the two as merely some ‘occasional interactive session’.
You can certainly do better!
Furthermore, just for argument’s sake, let us assume that this association was purely part of ‘occasional interactive sessions’, why does ZACC (Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission) appear too terrified to investigate Chivayo’s dealings?
In spite of the courageous-sounding press statement issued a few weeks ago signaling ZACC’s interest in questioning Chivayo and his business partners, specifically Mpofu and Chimombe, the only ones who seem to be in the commission’s crosshairs are the latter.
Chivayo appears to have been totally forgotten.
Only Mpofu and Chimombe have been arrested - not even on the ZEC scandal but for allegedly misappropriating US$40 million for a Presidential Goat Scheme.
What has become of the ZEC deal?
In spite of Muswere ostensibly ‘sending a stern and serious warning to anyone who abuses that openness [interactive] platform’, Chivayo clearly has nothing to worry about.
Actually, the fact that it is even possible for an individual in Zimbabwe to simply drop the president’s name and corrupt doors swing wide open is in itself terribly troubling.
What does this show about our country, and how corruption has become endemic?
As a matter of fact, for one to secure a huge million-tender - through the flagrant flouting of procurement processes - merely through their association (real or imagined or faked) with the president paints a picture where corruption at the highest echelons of power is now commonplace.
In a country without high-level corruption, even when an individual is known to have close links with the president, he can not secure anything without following proper legal procedures.
So, how is name dropping even possible in Zimbabwe?
What does that say about our leadership and the state of corruption in our country?
This poses another question: What is the true nature of the relationship between Chivayo and Mnangagwa?
It has, undoubtedly, nothing to do with some ‘occasional interactive platform’.
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
According to Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, "this platform allows occasional interactive sessions with everyone in each and every district in our country, which also allows many other political players to be able to interact with the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief and the Head of State and Government."
In other words, this is something of an ‘open-door policy’ where Mnangagwa permits ordinary citizens to meet with him.
Muswere went on to say, "they [interactive sessions] have allowed young people, traditional leaders, business people and many other religious leaders and all Zimbabweans across the country, to be able to interact with His Excellency the President openly, under the banner of transparency in terms of nation building."
From Muswere’s press statement, he attempted to portray this as the platform that has been used and abused by certain characters for name dropping - by magnifying their social, political and economic standing - to enable their corrupt activities.
Although the Information Minister did not specifically mention anyone by name, it is undeniable that controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo was on his mind.
This is the man who has been pictured with Mnangagwa at his official residence (State House) on several occasions - and has been fingered in a number of scandalous multi-million-dollar deals.
These include a US$100 million tender with the ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) for the supply of election material and equipment - whose costs were inflated by a whooping 235 percent.
He was also involved in a 2015 questionable US$5 million ZESA (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority) agreement for the construction of a 100MW solar plant in Gwanda.
Up to today, the solar plant is nowhere to be seen.
In an audio recording that went viral after a fallout between Chivayo and his partners in the ZEC deal, Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, he (Chivayo) bragged that he had the president firmly in his grip.
This close association with Mnangagwa is what is generally believed to have opened many doors for Chivayo - particularly in securing government tenders without even following proper procurement procedures.
Nonetheless, Muswere wants us to believe that there was never really any close relationship between the two (Chivayo and Mnangagwa), but that the youthful businessman was merely abusing the ‘interactive platforms’ offered by the president.
Really, Muswere!
Please do not make me laugh
This ridiculous assertion would have been hilarious had the resultant looting of national resources not led to the impoverishment of millions of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Surely, how can the association between Chivayo and Mnangagwa simply be dismissed as ‘occasional interactive sessions’?
Are we to honestly believe that these ‘occasional interactive sessions’ with the president also include being part of a meeting with a visiting head of state?
Did we not watch in astonishment as Chivayo posed for photographs with Mnangagwa and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto in April this year?
Then, during that same period, Chivayo was spotted at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Airport welcoming the president.
Since Muswere wants the nation to believe that this was all part of Mnangagwa’s ‘occasional interactive sessions’ - which are availed to every citizen - am I to assume that even I can attend a meeting between a visiting head of state and Mnangagwa, as well as welcoming him at the airport?
I think not!
We are not fools, Minister Muswere.
Even Professor Jonathan Moyo, during his spin doctoring days, would not have spinned the association between the two as merely some ‘occasional interactive session’.
You can certainly do better!
Furthermore, just for argument’s sake, let us assume that this association was purely part of ‘occasional interactive sessions’, why does ZACC (Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission) appear too terrified to investigate Chivayo’s dealings?
In spite of the courageous-sounding press statement issued a few weeks ago signaling ZACC’s interest in questioning Chivayo and his business partners, specifically Mpofu and Chimombe, the only ones who seem to be in the commission’s crosshairs are the latter.
Chivayo appears to have been totally forgotten.
Only Mpofu and Chimombe have been arrested - not even on the ZEC scandal but for allegedly misappropriating US$40 million for a Presidential Goat Scheme.
What has become of the ZEC deal?
In spite of Muswere ostensibly ‘sending a stern and serious warning to anyone who abuses that openness [interactive] platform’, Chivayo clearly has nothing to worry about.
Actually, the fact that it is even possible for an individual in Zimbabwe to simply drop the president’s name and corrupt doors swing wide open is in itself terribly troubling.
What does this show about our country, and how corruption has become endemic?
As a matter of fact, for one to secure a huge million-tender - through the flagrant flouting of procurement processes - merely through their association (real or imagined or faked) with the president paints a picture where corruption at the highest echelons of power is now commonplace.
In a country without high-level corruption, even when an individual is known to have close links with the president, he can not secure anything without following proper legal procedures.
So, how is name dropping even possible in Zimbabwe?
What does that say about our leadership and the state of corruption in our country?
This poses another question: What is the true nature of the relationship between Chivayo and Mnangagwa?
It has, undoubtedly, nothing to do with some ‘occasional interactive platform’.
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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