Opinion / Columnist
Mr. Mliswa, we want Zvigananda arrested - and we don't care who pushes it
2 hrs ago | 73 Views
In life, there is never a shortage of individuals determined to obstruct every effort aimed at easing the people's suffering.
In recent days, I have been deeply disturbed by the conduct of former Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
A man once regarded by many, myself included, as a fearless crusader against corruption and rot in Zimbabwe, seems to have lost his moral compass at a time the nation most needs principled voices.
His spirited defense of individuals widely viewed as beneficiaries of state capture and looting raises troubling questions about his true commitment to accountability and justice.
The past week has witnessed dramatic developments in the upper echelons of ZANU-PF.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly tabled a dossier at a Politburo meeting, exposing the alleged looting of US$3.2 billion by tenderpreneur Kudakwashe Tagwirei, funds that were supposedly proceeds from the ruling party's 45 percent shareholding in Sakunda Holdings.
The revelations, by all accounts, left President Emmerson Mnangagwa shell-shocked, given that he himself, along with Patrick Chinamasa, had been entrusted with handling these party investments.
Alongside Tagwirei, names of other dubious figures - Wicknell Chivayo, Scott Sakupwanya, and Paul Tungwarara - emerged as part of a clique of opportunists who, through their proximity to power, have amassed shocking wealth while the majority of Zimbabweans wallow in grinding poverty.
Chiwenga's blunt demand - why these Zvigananda, as they are now derisively called, are not behind bars - appeared to have struck a nerve.
Almost immediately, we saw the eruption of counterattacks against him, spearheaded by ZANU-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa and, surprisingly, Temba Mliswa.
For many of us, the question is not about Chiwenga's saintliness.
No one doubts that he is far from a paragon of virtue.
But when he points to the theft of billions by a cartel that has hollowed out Zimbabwe's economy, why would anyone sabotage such an overdue reckoning?
Why would someone who has built a reputation for holding leaders accountable suddenly rush to shield those whose plunder has left millions destitute?
As I reflect on this betrayal, I cannot ignore my immediate surroundings.
Even as I write these words, I am sitting on a hard bench in the crowded waiting area of Kwekwe General Hospital, where I have brought my mother for a medical review.
She recently spent a week admitted here due to a pleural effusion, a dangerous build-up of fluid in the lungs.
After undergoing painful days of chest drainage, she was discharged, but the ordeal is far from over.
The cytology results we received now strongly suggest that the cancer she bravely fought in 2015, through surgery and chemotherapy, has resurfaced and spread across her body.
This is most likely the cause of the effusion.
The sight before me in this hospital is a raw reminder of what is at stake in Zimbabwe's fight against corruption.
One exhausted doctor is expected to see more than 50 patients today.
Medicines and equipment are in such short supply that families like mine are forced to foot the bill for everything - painkillers, antibiotics, x-rays, lab tests.
I have already spent more than I can tally, and yet I know that the journey of battling recurrent cancer will be even longer and more financially draining.
As an only child, already struggling to make ends meet, I can only pray and lean on God for strength and provision.
But what of the dozens of patients waiting with me in this overcrowded queue, many of whom are far worse off financially?
Who will pay for their care?
How many will quietly perish because they cannot afford the basic essentials their government should be providing?
The cruel truth is that thousands of Zimbabweans die each year from preventable or treatable illnesses, not because our doctors lack skill, but because our hospitals lack resources.
And why do they lack resources?
Because the billions that should fund healthcare, schools, water provision, electricity, and other essential services are being looted by the same Zvigananda whom Mliswa now seems eager to protect.
According to independent estimates, Zimbabwe loses over US$4 billion annually to corruption, mismanagement, and illicit financial flows.
This is not an abstract figure - it is money stolen from the sick, the elderly, the unemployed, the schoolchild without books, the rural mother giving birth without medical care.
It is against this backdrop that Mliswa's defense of the indefensible is so galling.
Here is a man who has long positioned himself as a straight talker, unafraid to take on the powers that be, and yet, at the moment of truth, he appears to be throwing his weight behind the very people responsible for our national suffering.
What happened to the fiery legislator who called out corruption wherever he saw it?
What happened to the defender of the ordinary citizen?
To see him now trying to deflect and downplay revelations of monumental theft is a betrayal of the principles he once professed.
This is not about factional wars within ZANU-PF.
It is not about whether we like or dislike Chiwenga.
It is about the simple fact that Zimbabweans deserve justice.
We deserve accountability for the looting that has robbed us of a future.
Whether the push for accountability comes from Chiwenga, from Mnangagwa, or from an unexpected quarter should not matter.
What matters is that the Zvigananda who have treated this country like a personal feeding trough must face the law.
No one with a conscience, no one who has waited in a hospital queue like I am doing now, surrounded by the poor and suffering, could possibly defend these criminals.
Zimbabwe is bleeding.
Families are breaking under the weight of medical bills.
Young people are fleeing in droves, seeking dignity and opportunity elsewhere.
Our once proud nation has been reduced to begging, not because God has cursed us, but because a small clique of looters has stolen our inheritance.
For Mliswa, of all people, to align himself with this clique is not just disappointing - it is shameful.
I once respected Temba Mliswa.
I saw in him a rare politician willing to speak truth to power.
But now, I must admit I was wrong.
His recent conduct shows he is willing to sacrifice principle for expedience, to side with the looters against the people.
In doing so, he has squandered the respect of countless Zimbabweans who once looked up to him.
Let it be clear: Zimbabweans do not care who brings the Zvigananda to book.
Whether it is Chiwenga, Mnangagwa, or anyone else, what matters is that the plunder of billions must stop, and those responsible must face justice.
Enough lives have been destroyed.
Enough hospitals have been stripped bare.
Enough futures have been stolen.
The time for excuses and diversions is over.
We want accountability.
And we will not be swayed by the hollow defenses of opportunistic politicians.
Mr. Mliswa, the people of Zimbabwe are watching.
And this time, we see you clearly.
© 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/
In recent days, I have been deeply disturbed by the conduct of former Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
A man once regarded by many, myself included, as a fearless crusader against corruption and rot in Zimbabwe, seems to have lost his moral compass at a time the nation most needs principled voices.
His spirited defense of individuals widely viewed as beneficiaries of state capture and looting raises troubling questions about his true commitment to accountability and justice.
The past week has witnessed dramatic developments in the upper echelons of ZANU-PF.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly tabled a dossier at a Politburo meeting, exposing the alleged looting of US$3.2 billion by tenderpreneur Kudakwashe Tagwirei, funds that were supposedly proceeds from the ruling party's 45 percent shareholding in Sakunda Holdings.
The revelations, by all accounts, left President Emmerson Mnangagwa shell-shocked, given that he himself, along with Patrick Chinamasa, had been entrusted with handling these party investments.
Alongside Tagwirei, names of other dubious figures - Wicknell Chivayo, Scott Sakupwanya, and Paul Tungwarara - emerged as part of a clique of opportunists who, through their proximity to power, have amassed shocking wealth while the majority of Zimbabweans wallow in grinding poverty.
Chiwenga's blunt demand - why these Zvigananda, as they are now derisively called, are not behind bars - appeared to have struck a nerve.
Almost immediately, we saw the eruption of counterattacks against him, spearheaded by ZANU-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa and, surprisingly, Temba Mliswa.
For many of us, the question is not about Chiwenga's saintliness.
No one doubts that he is far from a paragon of virtue.
But when he points to the theft of billions by a cartel that has hollowed out Zimbabwe's economy, why would anyone sabotage such an overdue reckoning?
Why would someone who has built a reputation for holding leaders accountable suddenly rush to shield those whose plunder has left millions destitute?
As I reflect on this betrayal, I cannot ignore my immediate surroundings.
Even as I write these words, I am sitting on a hard bench in the crowded waiting area of Kwekwe General Hospital, where I have brought my mother for a medical review.
She recently spent a week admitted here due to a pleural effusion, a dangerous build-up of fluid in the lungs.
After undergoing painful days of chest drainage, she was discharged, but the ordeal is far from over.
The cytology results we received now strongly suggest that the cancer she bravely fought in 2015, through surgery and chemotherapy, has resurfaced and spread across her body.
This is most likely the cause of the effusion.
The sight before me in this hospital is a raw reminder of what is at stake in Zimbabwe's fight against corruption.
One exhausted doctor is expected to see more than 50 patients today.
Medicines and equipment are in such short supply that families like mine are forced to foot the bill for everything - painkillers, antibiotics, x-rays, lab tests.
I have already spent more than I can tally, and yet I know that the journey of battling recurrent cancer will be even longer and more financially draining.
As an only child, already struggling to make ends meet, I can only pray and lean on God for strength and provision.
But what of the dozens of patients waiting with me in this overcrowded queue, many of whom are far worse off financially?
Who will pay for their care?
How many will quietly perish because they cannot afford the basic essentials their government should be providing?
The cruel truth is that thousands of Zimbabweans die each year from preventable or treatable illnesses, not because our doctors lack skill, but because our hospitals lack resources.
And why do they lack resources?
Because the billions that should fund healthcare, schools, water provision, electricity, and other essential services are being looted by the same Zvigananda whom Mliswa now seems eager to protect.
According to independent estimates, Zimbabwe loses over US$4 billion annually to corruption, mismanagement, and illicit financial flows.
This is not an abstract figure - it is money stolen from the sick, the elderly, the unemployed, the schoolchild without books, the rural mother giving birth without medical care.
Here is a man who has long positioned himself as a straight talker, unafraid to take on the powers that be, and yet, at the moment of truth, he appears to be throwing his weight behind the very people responsible for our national suffering.
What happened to the fiery legislator who called out corruption wherever he saw it?
What happened to the defender of the ordinary citizen?
To see him now trying to deflect and downplay revelations of monumental theft is a betrayal of the principles he once professed.
This is not about factional wars within ZANU-PF.
It is not about whether we like or dislike Chiwenga.
It is about the simple fact that Zimbabweans deserve justice.
We deserve accountability for the looting that has robbed us of a future.
Whether the push for accountability comes from Chiwenga, from Mnangagwa, or from an unexpected quarter should not matter.
What matters is that the Zvigananda who have treated this country like a personal feeding trough must face the law.
No one with a conscience, no one who has waited in a hospital queue like I am doing now, surrounded by the poor and suffering, could possibly defend these criminals.
Zimbabwe is bleeding.
Families are breaking under the weight of medical bills.
Young people are fleeing in droves, seeking dignity and opportunity elsewhere.
Our once proud nation has been reduced to begging, not because God has cursed us, but because a small clique of looters has stolen our inheritance.
For Mliswa, of all people, to align himself with this clique is not just disappointing - it is shameful.
I once respected Temba Mliswa.
I saw in him a rare politician willing to speak truth to power.
But now, I must admit I was wrong.
His recent conduct shows he is willing to sacrifice principle for expedience, to side with the looters against the people.
In doing so, he has squandered the respect of countless Zimbabweans who once looked up to him.
Let it be clear: Zimbabweans do not care who brings the Zvigananda to book.
Whether it is Chiwenga, Mnangagwa, or anyone else, what matters is that the plunder of billions must stop, and those responsible must face justice.
Enough lives have been destroyed.
Enough hospitals have been stripped bare.
Enough futures have been stolen.
The time for excuses and diversions is over.
We want accountability.
And we will not be swayed by the hollow defenses of opportunistic politicians.
Mr. Mliswa, the people of Zimbabwe are watching.
And this time, we see you clearly.
© 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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