President Mnangagwa’s efforts to present a smiling clean new face to the outside world has been undermined by the inadequacy of his attempt to tackle the corruption that has laid waste to the Zimbabwean economy.
Source: Anti-corruption talk lacks conviction – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 24th March 2018
His offer of an amnesty to those illegally holding money abroad has produced little reward and his list of alleged looters has been derided for not including any politicians and officials widely regarded as among the main players in the corruption free-for-all that has characterized the last 20 years.
Mind you, some of the cases mentioned in the press make interesting reading; for instance the Ekusilen medical centre, a specialist hospital in Bulawayo was launched by the National Social Security Authority 14 years ago but has never been operational despite the millions it has sent out of the country.
Anyway, the target set by Mnangagwa to be returned was piffling when Mugabe himself admitted that $15 billion alone had been looted from the Chiadzwa diamond mines. This money disappeared while Obert Mpofu was minister of mines. He is widely believed to be one of the richest men in Zimbabwe, apart from the Mugabe family, Mnangagwa himself and Vice-President Lieutenant-General Chiwenga. Once Mugabe’s ‘most obedient son’, Mpofu, now Home Minister, has transferred his abject devotion to Mnangagwa.
A parliamentary committee was recently told by businessman Lovemore Kurotwi that Mpofu had demanded a $10 million bribe to allow him to mine in Chiadzwa in 2009, although Kurotwi had already won the tender. Not surprisingly, Mpofu refused to answer questions about the matter.
A spokesman for Crisis Coalition, Tabani Moyo, commented that if Mnangagwa wanted the world to think that his is a ‘new’ administration he had to clean it up. He added that the government’s back yard was decorated with ‘filthy lucre’ (see: https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2018/03/23/obert-mpofu-opens-up-on-his-wealth).
Other points
- The Vigil is happy to see that our friend Violet Gonda, one of the best of Zimbabwe’s journalists, has been allowed back in the country. She visited her old home in Mutare after an absence of almost two decades to hug her grandmothers, now in their 90s. she says that when Mugabe’s resignation was announced her paternal grandmother called a prayer meeting with neighbours to give thanks. ‘She was crying and saying Mugabe is gone now. Vee can come home now. I will get to see my grand-daughter before I die.’ (See: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-47165-Gonda+I+returned+to+Zim+a+stranger/news.aspx).
- Thanks to those who arrived early to set up by putting up the banners and stayed to the end to pack up: Bianca Monica Mpawaenda, Alice Majola, Pearl Shambare and Jonathan Kariwo. Thanks to Bianca, Pearl and Alice for looking after the front table and to Isaac Chawasarira for handing out flyers.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website. The facebook page for our sister organisation Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) (https://www.facebook.com/ROHR-Zimbabwe-Restoration-of-Human-Rights-301811392835) has been hijacked by destructive elements from a group calling itself ZHRO. Please be advised that any postings on this page are not posted by ROHR.
FOR THE RECORD: 15 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
- ROHR general members’ meeting. Saturday 31st March from 11 am – 1.45 pm. Venue: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Agenda: adoption of the ROHR 2018 programme of action and completion of appointments to the ROHR National Executive Committee.
- ROHR fundraising dinner for ZimPAP. Saturday 7th April from 6 pm till late. Venue: Zaza’s Restaurant, 108a Whitechapel Road, London E1 1JE. Come and share an all-you-can-eat buffet. Tickets: £25. Contact: Daizy Fabian 07708653640, Heather Makawa 07716391800. All proceeds will go to the Zimbabwe Peace Actors’ Platform which aims to raise money to train civilian peace keepers in Zimbabwe to educate people in their local communities on their constitutional rights as well as overcoming fear and intimidation during and after the 2018 elections.
- ROHR Central London branch meeting. Saturday 21st April from 11.30 am – 1.30 pm. Venue: Royal Festival Hall, Contact: Daisy Fabian 07708653640, Maxmus Savanhu 07397809056, Sipho Ndlovu 07400566013.
- The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
- Swaziland Protest. Thursday 19th April from 11.30 – 1.30 pm. Venue: outside the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX. King Mswati III is likely to be in the UK for the Commonwealth Summit (19th April is Mswati’s 50th birthday). It is an opportunity to protest about human rights problems in Swaziland and the Commonwealth’s failings when it comes to dealing with the country. The protest is organized by Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) and they ask that members of the Zimbabwe and Swaziland Vigils join them.
- The Vigil’s book ‘Zimbabwe Emergency’ is based on our weekly diaries. It records how events in Zimbabwe have unfolded over the past 15 years as seen by the diaspora in the UK. It chronicles the economic disintegration, violence, growing oppression and political manoeuvring – and the tragic human cost involved. It is available at the Vigil for £10. All proceeds will go to the Vigil and our sister organisation the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe’s work in Zimbabwe. The book is also available from Amazon.
- Zimbabwe Action Forum meets regularly after the Vigil to discuss ways to help those back in Zimbabwe to fight oppression and achieve true democracy.
- Zimbabwe Yes We Can Movement holds meetings in London as the political face of ROHR and the Vigil.
-
Facebook pages:
COMMENTS
Vigil you are little bit almost right. President ED the govt is still saddled or infested with lazy, clueless thieves feigning repentance and new sense of mission. Corruption fight is not yielding anything. Growing up in Bulawayo a city of cunning tricksters of that time, this other fellow had coined a slogan meant to tell that he is untrickable. He’da say “Man, I never came, I was born and bred here.” Guys remove corrupt people who are not adding value to new dispensation for some of us ‘we never came’.