Opinion / Columnist
Why Zimbabweans should worry about our relationship with Belarus
3 hrs ago | Views
How is it that Zimbabwe consistently chooses to engage with questionable figures?
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is in Minsk for a working visit, marking his third trip to Belarus since assuming office.
This latest visit, expected to culminate in talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on May 14, comes under the banner of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Official statements promise discussions on trade, investment, and expanding economic ties.
On the surface, this sounds like a welcome development - Zimbabwe engaging new allies to boost its struggling economy.
But beneath the diplomatic pageantry lies a troubling relationship, built on secrecy, elite collusion, and deals that benefit a privileged few while burdening ordinary citizens.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
Belarus is not just another friendly nation eager to assist Zimbabwe's development.
It is a deeply authoritarian state, long ruled by Lukashenko, who has presided over a regime known for brutal repression, electoral manipulation, and suppression of dissent.
The parallels with Zimbabwe's own governance under ZANU PF are glaring.
Both countries have been ostracized by much of the international community for poor human rights records and democratic backsliding.
And so, it is no coincidence that they have found common cause - not necessarily in the interests of their people, but in preserving their respective ruling elites.
The presence of figures like Alexander Zingman in the middle of this diplomatic dance makes the relationship even more worrisome.
Zingman, a Belarusian businessman appointed Zimbabwe's honorary consul to Belarus in 2019, has become a powerful middleman in many of the deals signed between Harare and Minsk.
Through his company, Aftrade DMCC, he has facilitated the supply of agricultural machinery, construction equipment, and - most controversially - fire tenders to Zimbabwean local authorities.
The price tag on the fire tender deal alone exceeded US$62 million, with each truck reportedly costing over US$464,000.
The procurement process behind this deal was shrouded in opacity and controversy.
Local authorities were never consulted.
Instead, they were informed - not asked - that their allocations from constitutionally guaranteed devolution funds would be used to pay for the trucks.
Many urban councils objected, arguing that the equipment was overpriced, unnecessary, and a misallocation of scarce resources.
Rural councils, whose communities rarely require such equipment due to the nature of housing and lack of water infrastructure, were also forced to comply.
Yet the government pressed ahead, citing a need to standardize emergency response capabilities.
In reality, this was a deal imposed from above, benefiting foreign suppliers and local political elites, while undermining the principle of local autonomy.
Several councils, including Bulawayo and Mutare, pointed out that they already had functional fire departments and would have preferred to spend their allocations on waste management, water systems, or road rehabilitation.
But their voices were ignored.
This is just one example of how the Belarusian connection is being exploited.
In 2018, Zimbabwe also awarded a massive gold mining concession - covering nearly 55,000 hectares - to Midlands Goldfields Foundation, a company linked to Zingman and Sergei Sheiman, the son of Viktor Sheiman, a close ally of Lukashenko.
Though the deal was publicly announced as a bilateral agreement between two states, investigations later revealed that it was, in fact, a private venture involving politically connected individuals operating through offshore entities in the Seychelles.
The Sheiman name is no stranger to controversy.
Viktor Sheiman, formerly head of Belarus's security services, has long been accused of orchestrating forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures in Belarus.
That the Zimbabwean government would partner with a family bearing such a reputation, and allow them access to the country's mineral wealth, reflects the moral bankruptcy of our foreign policy under the Mnangagwa administration.
It also raises a critical question: what kind of governance model is Zimbabwe aspiring to under Mnangagwa's so-called Second Republic?
If these are the international partnerships we prioritize - ones that bypass democratic institutions, enrich cronies, and operate in darkness - then the promise of reform was always hollow.
The regime's affinity for Belarus signals not a break from the Mugabe era, but a deepening of authoritarianism, dressed up as pragmatic diplomacy.
To make matters worse, these deals are often presented as acts of generosity from Belarus.
Critics might argue that Belarusian machinery has aided Zimbabwean agriculture, that new tractors and combine harvesters have been delivered under these deals.
While that may be true in part, it cannot justify the systemic lack of transparency and accountability surrounding these transactions.
In fact, Zingman's fingerprints are all over these multi-million-dollar agreements.
As Zimbabwe's Honorary Consul in Belarus and a key figure behind Aftrade DMCC - the firm granted exclusive rights to distribute Belarusian equipment in Zimbabwe - Zingman played a central role in brokering the deals.
Through this arrangement, Zimbabwe acquired thousands of tractors and harvesters from Belarusian manufacturers like Minsk Tractor Works.
Yet, these deals were awarded without competitive tender processes, raising red flags about how procurement decisions are made and who truly benefits.
Many farmers were forced into opaque loan schemes, while a politically connected middleman profited immensely under the guise of national development.
The reality is that Zimbabwe is paying a high price - not only financially, but in lost opportunities for genuine, competitive procurement, and in the erosion of democratic accountability.
Zimbabwe has numerous other options for trade and investment - countries that could offer equipment at lower prices, under fairer conditions, and with respect for procurement laws.
So why Belarus? Why Zingman? Why Sheiman?
The answer lies in the murky confluence of political loyalty, personal enrichment, and international isolation.
Both Mnangagwa and Lukashenko find themselves on the fringes of global diplomacy, unwanted by the West and eager to find validation in each other.
Their partnership is less about national development and more about mutual survival.
They offer each other safe spaces, trade deals, and platforms to claim legitimacy - even as their citizens continue to suffer under crumbling public services, high unemployment, and declining freedoms.
As Mnangagwa poses for photos in Minsk and touts this visit as a milestone in Zimbabwe's foreign policy, ordinary Zimbabweans must ask: who truly benefits from this relationship?
Are our clinics receiving Belarusian medical supplies?
Are our schools getting Belarusian books?
Are Zimbabwean farmers receiving affordable equipment to increase productivity?
Or is it the politically connected few who are gaining, while the rest watch from the sidelines?
The people of Zimbabwe deserve more than handshakes and ribbon cuttings.
We deserve a government that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and value for money in all its dealings.
We deserve a foreign policy that opens opportunities for all, not just for those with the president's ear.
And we deserve leaders who seek partnerships based on mutual benefit and democratic values - not shared contempt for their own citizens.
Mnangagwa's state visit to Belarus may be brief, but the consequences of these alliances could last a generation.
It is time Zimbabweans start paying closer attention to the company our leaders keep.
Because when corrupt regimes do business with each other, it is always the people who pay the price.
© 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/
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is in Minsk for a working visit, marking his third trip to Belarus since assuming office.
This latest visit, expected to culminate in talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on May 14, comes under the banner of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Official statements promise discussions on trade, investment, and expanding economic ties.
On the surface, this sounds like a welcome development - Zimbabwe engaging new allies to boost its struggling economy.
But beneath the diplomatic pageantry lies a troubling relationship, built on secrecy, elite collusion, and deals that benefit a privileged few while burdening ordinary citizens.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
Belarus is not just another friendly nation eager to assist Zimbabwe's development.
It is a deeply authoritarian state, long ruled by Lukashenko, who has presided over a regime known for brutal repression, electoral manipulation, and suppression of dissent.
The parallels with Zimbabwe's own governance under ZANU PF are glaring.
Both countries have been ostracized by much of the international community for poor human rights records and democratic backsliding.
And so, it is no coincidence that they have found common cause - not necessarily in the interests of their people, but in preserving their respective ruling elites.
The presence of figures like Alexander Zingman in the middle of this diplomatic dance makes the relationship even more worrisome.
Zingman, a Belarusian businessman appointed Zimbabwe's honorary consul to Belarus in 2019, has become a powerful middleman in many of the deals signed between Harare and Minsk.
Through his company, Aftrade DMCC, he has facilitated the supply of agricultural machinery, construction equipment, and - most controversially - fire tenders to Zimbabwean local authorities.
The price tag on the fire tender deal alone exceeded US$62 million, with each truck reportedly costing over US$464,000.
The procurement process behind this deal was shrouded in opacity and controversy.
Local authorities were never consulted.
Instead, they were informed - not asked - that their allocations from constitutionally guaranteed devolution funds would be used to pay for the trucks.
Many urban councils objected, arguing that the equipment was overpriced, unnecessary, and a misallocation of scarce resources.
Rural councils, whose communities rarely require such equipment due to the nature of housing and lack of water infrastructure, were also forced to comply.
Yet the government pressed ahead, citing a need to standardize emergency response capabilities.
In reality, this was a deal imposed from above, benefiting foreign suppliers and local political elites, while undermining the principle of local autonomy.
Several councils, including Bulawayo and Mutare, pointed out that they already had functional fire departments and would have preferred to spend their allocations on waste management, water systems, or road rehabilitation.
But their voices were ignored.
This is just one example of how the Belarusian connection is being exploited.
In 2018, Zimbabwe also awarded a massive gold mining concession - covering nearly 55,000 hectares - to Midlands Goldfields Foundation, a company linked to Zingman and Sergei Sheiman, the son of Viktor Sheiman, a close ally of Lukashenko.
Though the deal was publicly announced as a bilateral agreement between two states, investigations later revealed that it was, in fact, a private venture involving politically connected individuals operating through offshore entities in the Seychelles.
The Sheiman name is no stranger to controversy.
Viktor Sheiman, formerly head of Belarus's security services, has long been accused of orchestrating forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures in Belarus.
That the Zimbabwean government would partner with a family bearing such a reputation, and allow them access to the country's mineral wealth, reflects the moral bankruptcy of our foreign policy under the Mnangagwa administration.
It also raises a critical question: what kind of governance model is Zimbabwe aspiring to under Mnangagwa's so-called Second Republic?
If these are the international partnerships we prioritize - ones that bypass democratic institutions, enrich cronies, and operate in darkness - then the promise of reform was always hollow.
The regime's affinity for Belarus signals not a break from the Mugabe era, but a deepening of authoritarianism, dressed up as pragmatic diplomacy.
To make matters worse, these deals are often presented as acts of generosity from Belarus.
Critics might argue that Belarusian machinery has aided Zimbabwean agriculture, that new tractors and combine harvesters have been delivered under these deals.
While that may be true in part, it cannot justify the systemic lack of transparency and accountability surrounding these transactions.
In fact, Zingman's fingerprints are all over these multi-million-dollar agreements.
As Zimbabwe's Honorary Consul in Belarus and a key figure behind Aftrade DMCC - the firm granted exclusive rights to distribute Belarusian equipment in Zimbabwe - Zingman played a central role in brokering the deals.
Through this arrangement, Zimbabwe acquired thousands of tractors and harvesters from Belarusian manufacturers like Minsk Tractor Works.
Yet, these deals were awarded without competitive tender processes, raising red flags about how procurement decisions are made and who truly benefits.
Many farmers were forced into opaque loan schemes, while a politically connected middleman profited immensely under the guise of national development.
The reality is that Zimbabwe is paying a high price - not only financially, but in lost opportunities for genuine, competitive procurement, and in the erosion of democratic accountability.
Zimbabwe has numerous other options for trade and investment - countries that could offer equipment at lower prices, under fairer conditions, and with respect for procurement laws.
So why Belarus? Why Zingman? Why Sheiman?
The answer lies in the murky confluence of political loyalty, personal enrichment, and international isolation.
Both Mnangagwa and Lukashenko find themselves on the fringes of global diplomacy, unwanted by the West and eager to find validation in each other.
Their partnership is less about national development and more about mutual survival.
They offer each other safe spaces, trade deals, and platforms to claim legitimacy - even as their citizens continue to suffer under crumbling public services, high unemployment, and declining freedoms.
As Mnangagwa poses for photos in Minsk and touts this visit as a milestone in Zimbabwe's foreign policy, ordinary Zimbabweans must ask: who truly benefits from this relationship?
Are our clinics receiving Belarusian medical supplies?
Are our schools getting Belarusian books?
Are Zimbabwean farmers receiving affordable equipment to increase productivity?
Or is it the politically connected few who are gaining, while the rest watch from the sidelines?
The people of Zimbabwe deserve more than handshakes and ribbon cuttings.
We deserve a government that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and value for money in all its dealings.
We deserve a foreign policy that opens opportunities for all, not just for those with the president's ear.
And we deserve leaders who seek partnerships based on mutual benefit and democratic values - not shared contempt for their own citizens.
Mnangagwa's state visit to Belarus may be brief, but the consequences of these alliances could last a generation.
It is time Zimbabweans start paying closer attention to the company our leaders keep.
Because when corrupt regimes do business with each other, it is always the people who pay the price.
© 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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