via Govt to tighten mines control, fight corruption – Mugabe | The Source April 18, 2014
President Robert Mugabe on Friday said his government will tighten control of mines to improve transparency and accelerate the crack down on officials implicated in corruption and fraud.
“We are trying to get all these sub-industries to be well organised to be much more transparent and to be much more under control of the government than they have been before,” Mugabe said at commemorations to mark the country’s independence from Britain in 1980.
Mugabe has been Zimbabwe’s sole ruler since the former Rhodesia gained independence.
Subsectors, including diamond, gold, iron, chrome and coal will all be reorganised, he said without giving details.
On the indigenisation law which requires foreign owned firms to cede 51 percent to local blacks, Mugabe said this would only be enforced where local resources are used.
“We have said where companies have been established, mainly on the basis of our natural resources, mining, agriculture, manufacturing…… we demand that Zimbabwe either through the government or through our people should have 51 percent and not less than 51 percent,” he said.
Mugabe took a swipe at Chinese businesses that brought their own labour force into the country instead of employing locals.
“Let the skills be from our indigenous areas. Chinese want to bring their whole families to work in companies, we don’t want that even if they are our friends,” he said.
Tackling corruption
Mugabe said he will crack down on officials implicated in corrupt activities after recent cases involving public officials and state-owned companies.
Air Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and Marange Diamonds are some of the state enterprises that are currently under probe for various malfeasances.
“We are cleaning up the corrupt ones, we want a clean government. I can assure you we will not leave corruption where we discover it unpunished,” he said.
Zimbabwe is ranked 157 out of 177 among the most corrupt countries in the world by the Transparency International 2013 index, six places worse off than the previous year.
Government recently capped salaries and allowances for public sector executives to a maximum of $6,000 per month after a public row erupted over executive pay at some parastatals.
“Don’t take that which is not your own, don’t steal. Don’t allocate yourself that which you do not deserve if you are in a position of management, control. If you are in a position of responsibility, don’t give yourself salaries which are higher than what the regulations stipulate.”
He said as president, he had to accept a “humiliating” salary of $100 per month when the country dollarised in 2009 under the unity government between his ZANU-PF party and the Movement of Democratic Change.
“We did not allocate ourselves money because we are leaders,” he said.
COMMENTS
Ko nhai Chef iwo maChina aya ari kushanda muno mawork permit acho vari kuawana kupiko? Were they not given by your government departments> What was your agreement with your friends when they were given the licences to operate in this country? What qualifications do these people have? Why?????????????????How??????????????What?????????????????????????????????????? and so and so. Ndinoona nemiwo munenge muri kurara pabasa.
There are those that are allowed to steal and the rest must suffer in squalor. Do as I say not as I do! $100/month salary and builds a castle with shop till you drop in tow.
Mugabe is such a liar. The country is corrupt because he is corrupt. Corruption is the tool he uses to rule.
And the devil is the father of ALL lies. He sickens me! may God have mercy on Zimbabwe!
Why would I waste my time going to these functions to hear an old senile man drivel? People should just boycott attending . Its punishing to the ears.
Treasonous thieves.
Pasi neZanu.
Mr. Mugabe, you did not rig last year’s elections so you can tighten control of mines and end corruption did you? Of course not! You rigged the vote so that you can remain in power and to ensure your electoral victory you even allowed corruption to get completely out of hand. For it was you who authorized the spending of billions of dollars buying cars for Zanu PF officials, government officials and foreigners like Nikuv who helped corrupt the voters roll. It is the reckless spending of the last three years that was the last straw to break the camel’s back and precipitate the economic melt-down.
You are making all these empty promises to do something to end the economic melt-down to justify why you should stay on in power although you are illegitimate since you rigged the elections. You want to stay on not to end the economic melt-down but to ensure no one takes away what the Zanu PF ruling elite have looted and indeed to allow them to continue looting to top up their fortunes!
You must think all Zimbabweans are naïve and gullible; well not all! You are not going to admit you failed and give up power because it is not in the DNA of tyrants to do that. You have to be forced to give up power and so be it! You are now going to get away with rigging the elections, not this time! You are illegitimate and must go and go you will!
The followers of EU are not to talk the issue of Zimbabwe because it is in Africa while Zimbabweans are unable to discuss about British or other Europeans issues or can they! they should tighten their resource.
Anybody believe this rubbish after 34 years can start his or her application for the mad house
His speech is excruciatingly hollow and devoid of any sencerity. Its a slap in the face of any intelligent Zimbabwean who at this stage would have expected Mugabe to provide results not tell us his intentions. Intentions is what he had in his manufesto at election time.
How many jobs has he created?
By what percentage has corruption gone down?
How many companies have re/opened?
How much of the diamont revenue has so far gone inti government coffers?
telling us ‘ndicha ita izvi nezvizvi..’ that is absolute twaddle coming form a man who thinks he is the best thing that ever happened to Zimbabwe. He is a disgress ansd shows himself up every time he opens his ever expanding gob.