via Minister demands bribe – DailyNews Live by Lloyd Mbiba 16 MARCH 2014
President Robert Mugabe yesterday said one of his ministers demanded a $70 000 bribe from a foreign businessman in order to facilitate a meeting with the leader.
The 90-year-old told senior government officials and securocrats, who attended his belated birthday celebrations organised by the Public Service Commission at a local hotel, that corruption was destroying the country.
He singled out a case where an unnamed minister, and a woman from Parliament, demanded bribes from a foreign businessman keen on having an audience with him.
“Corruption! Corruption! Corruption! Yatikuvadza, yakuvadza Africa (has destroyed Africa) terribly. I was being told that a businessman who wants to invest was led to a woman in Parliament, and this lady said ‘yes I can take you to more important people but give me $50 000 and I will open a way for you’. He went to another high placed minister and he (the businessman) said he wants to establish some company ‘take me to the president , Yes, but give me $70 000’,” he said.
Mugabe said the businessman, who has been led to different people all in attempts to meet him, is now telling all and sundry about the bribery scandal involving his ministers.
“And he (the businessman) is telling the story everywhere and ndozvazviri. (that’s what it is) What sort of people are we? We will punish each other. We punish zvitadzo, zvitadzo we punish. Tinovapanisha pano pasi, Mwari anozopanishawo kudenga. VaZimondi (Paradzai) vanawo majere tinokuendesai ikoko nematie enyu monobviswa ikoko. Takambokuendawo tikaabviswa asi takanga tisina corruption tai-ita zvenyika.”(A crime is a crime. We have prisons here on earth but God will also punish you in heaven. We will send you there in your ties and the prison guards will take them off. We have been to prison ourselves but not on corruption but political charges.)
With the country still riveted with the salary scandals involving parastatal bosses who have been reaping off taxpayers, Mugabe admitted that Zimbabwe is now bogged down by graft now pervasive even among the law enforcement agents — the police.
“But we don’t want people to undergo unnecessary suffering. But it’s happening everywhere, Chemuhomwe! Chemuhomwe! Chemuhomwe! (bribes, bribes, bribes) Let’s do our work well. We have a very beautiful public service structure. Chirwere ichi chakapindawo nekumapurisa kwese kwese, hatidi izvozvo hakusi kuNigeria kuno,” he said. (The bribery cancer has even spread to the police).
Mugabe warned diamond mining companies in Chiadzwa, which are currently at loggerheads with government as they remit pittance to the treasury, that if officials are caught in shoddy dealings the law will take its course.
“Kwese ikoko kunana Chiadzwa, kunana Marange tinoda kunyatsoona kuti zvanga zvichifamba sei. Kana kune corruption yanga ichiitika ikoko tikaidzumbunura chete people will answer for that (We will be watching every corner to establish what has been happening including the diamond mining areas of Chiadzwa and Marange. Should we unearth traces of corruption people will be brought to book),” Mugabe said.
The president’s threat comes hardly a day after Walter Chidhakwa, Mines minister, said government would rather halt all diamond mining in Marange than let firms operating there continue fleecing the country of millions of United States dollars through understating the real value of the stones they extract and sell through cartels.
Chidhakwa said he was boosting monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the country realises true value from its resources.
Mbada Diamonds, Marange Resources, Anjin Investments, Jinan and Diamond Mining Company have however made it clear that government never approached them on the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust in which they were supposed to contribute $10 million each.
COMMENTS
Bob sleeping on the job.
Too old ,has forgotten he gets a cut as always.
Of course by comparison Tsvangerai and his officials didn’t start one case of corruption – anti corruption committee just held political meetings and no complains at all from MDC – meanwhile, Municipality was looted, ministries where they were controlled by MDC were completely looted like Zesa, now getting sorted.
But of course its not nice to mention these corrupt officials – the west may stop their funding!!!
Tell me Apolitical. Who in ZPF has got clean hands? And a clean heart? Just wondering!
WHY THE HELL DONT YOU FIRE HER1
There is a need for thought and reasonioing in comments illustrated above.
1 firing doesn’t help – the director was fiddling tenders at Zesa, when caught she inflated the tender from 85v million to 135 million when questioned she said what do you expect, if I get fired or go to jail I will need a package to live on, the normal MDC demand.She was having an affair with the former minister. – if by chance anyone commenting can read and understand, check the tender to NAM POWER FOR 85 MILLION and the announcement on the increase after tenders closed to 135 million. CZI keep copies for those with limited IQ who cant research and who only know how to call people names when they cant understand what has been written.
2. they need all assets frozen and confiscated and jail.
ONLY A WEAK LEADER WOULD FOOLISLY ADMIT THIS! TAKE ACTION, CRY BABY!
In a normal society this person would be in front of the courts but for Zimbabwe talk is cheap and no action is better still. I am surprised he didn’t blame the west again for offering to bribe the woman?
Nobody fired. Is the president now powerless?
Yes. Even his wife calls the shots!
All hot air, nothings gets done to the bigwigs. Salaries of upto 6 million dollars per annum and no tax paid? Now the company is being garnished? Not the first time bribes have been solicited, didn’t Mbeki also complain in Vic Falls of a South African being fleeced the same way? Nothing was done then and nothing now
Those who live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones.
He rants, signifying nothing.
Who is going to watch the people employed to watch
It’s called affirmative action. Working very well in africa.If you look south jacob zuma and his anc are the biggest thieves in africa.
Surely not in Zimbabwe!!! Thieving trash
toothless mabritiiiish bulldog, or is it a pekingese??
Well said all of you! Blah,blah,blah!!! That’s all we hear is warnings & what we ‘gonna’ do but nothing happens. Sorry Mr Pres we just don’t believe you. These ministers know nothing will be done so like threatened 3 year olds who go scot free every time they carry on regardless!
Spot on.
All bark and no bite !
MaDiamonds acho as,the minister pointed out ngaatombomira hawo kucherwa kunyange takambobirwa panekuti tirambe tichingobirwa.
How Mugabe stoop so low that he talks like one of those drinking traditional beer in the rural village. Zimbabwe is sinking and you speak tresh like that. Its not a surprise when people said that he has does not have any clue when it comes to economic leadership. He is tired village headman as his speeches talks for themselves. Stupid blood, village minded fool.
To be seen or to be heard to be doing something. Totenda dzamwa. Having a prospective investor turn to MPs and ministers signifies there is gravely wrong with our processing of foreign investor applications. Was the investor genuine, or why would he need to speak to the president in order to invest? Do all foreign investors go through that process? We should have laid down procedures and government offices that accept applications from investors and process them at the best speed possible, with clear guidelines on what is acceptable or not from investors. Kana uchida kuita tuckshop kuchitungwiza wotombotanga wanoona mugabe? Asi iye mugabe wacho haachisina chekuita aakugashira vaenzi vese vese?
Our President can never be taken seriously any more. Dont believe a word he has to say.
The most corrupt leader calling to fight the rot?????? Mahumbwe chaiwo aya. Zvinongoperera pakuwawata.
Shut up gukurahundi Mugabe, you are the most thieving corrupt two legged creature that has ever walked on earth!!
The fact that he is not saying who these people are it means they are in it together.
Good idea! Name and shame. Maybe that would be too risky though, ‘cos Bob’s the worst of the lot! He wouldn’t trust his fellow thieves not to implicate him in court….
Who would want to invest in Africa, just look from North to South what a mess it is, they can’t run anything. The ones who hate the West the most are the biggest Capitalists
“Pots & Kettles” 😉