Mhona benefits from Mbudzi interchange looting spree

Zimbabwe's Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona has allegedly benefited from Mbudzi interchange looting spree and temporarily managed to evade public scrutiny through presiding over official opening of urban roads where urgency was merely driven by the need to host then Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit while deliberately neglect some major highways off-the-venue; analysts and politicians have claimed.

Political analyst, Innocent Kagodora claims that some politicians are short-sighted to an extent that they live in the present without considering the future which timeously traps them into being victims of their declarations.

"It starts from awarding tenders based on one's proximity to those in authority and their commitment to pay bribes after winning the same (through bidding). Remember Minister Mhona declared that by the 31st of July 2024, Mbudzi Interchange will be completed and be fully functional. He further announced that the resources are there to ensure completion will be realised within the prescribed time-frame," Kagodora said.

"Minister Mhona's tone on Mbudzi Interchange has been tuned into low mode with self pretence that everything is well. His silent approach and ignorance to address concerns about Mbudzi Interchange completion deadline which has lapsed is a clear testimony that he is a beneficiary of the previously reported loot by those who have influence in resources appropriation and manipulation," Kagodora added.

Another political analyst, Rashwet Mukundu commented that the government embarked on temporary infrastructure overdrive with hidden motive to impress visitors rather than genuine development.

"On roads infrastructure development and Mbudzi Interchange completion, you would realise that before the SADC summit, the development looked so genuine, but instead, it appears that the intention was to impress visitors and mask the deterioration of Zimbabwe's road network," Mukundu said.

"The challenge being that infrastructure development should be looked at as a national development project and not a political project tied to Summits because when the high level political gatherings are done, the government sees no need to complete the projects nor establish a long term plan on developing infrastructure," Mukundu added.

Opposition politician and former Senator of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Komichi echoed the same sentiments describing poor governance and misappropriation of funds meant for national development as the best definition for public officials who are serving the interest of their corrupt masters with priority insufficiency and inconsistency.

"What results do you expect from a public official who has been assigned to a ministerial post where he is supposed to give feedback to his corrupt master," Komichi said.

"It is unfortunate that Mhona is serving the interests of a rotten system which needs an overhaul. By that virtue, he is a beneficiary of the looting spree which has resulted in that project's stalling," Komichi added.

"He benefited and is still benefiting from that project hence its supposed completion should be deliberately delayed or stretched to ensure prolonged looting. Remember that the system invested much in corruption and it has therefore remained their avenue to remain in power," Komichi remarks.

An infrastructural development survey along major highways and critical infrastructure before and after SADC Summit has shown that the urgency to develop infrastructure was mainly driven by Harare's quest to host the Summit where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was assuming chairmanship of the body.

Harare-Bindura/Mazoe highway just after tollgate is in a monumental state as compared to the road linking New Parliament Building from the central business district and within the proximity of the same tollgate.

Efforts to get a comment from the Minister were fruitless since the Minister was not picking or responding to calls.