Zim economy is bleeding because of structural gaps and corrupt elements

By Tinashe Muzamhindo

Zimbabwe is in a deep hole that it cannot come out of easily unless something is done urgently. It has been reported that we are owing almost 13 billion external and local creditors and I wonder how we are going to close this gap?

This same Government gave war veterans money in 1997 which had not been budgeted for and it caused serious rifts in our economy. The decisions of the executive has lost touch with the reality. We have a big problem in this country and the problem is “FINANCIAL INDISCIPLINE”. We cannot eat what we kill, we believe in the bush economy.

War veterans were rewarded $50 000 each and never mind those who received more than $100 000 each and those who received money but never went to war. We have serious leakages in our economy and it’s bleeding.

How many people benefited from a looting spree and they never saw their day in Chikururbi maximum prison? This is unfair to the citizenry. We have Mazda Willovale scandal were top officials looted everything and as we speak there is nothing. This country lost millions of dollars through that scam and these are the same people in the cabinet today. One wonders whether corruption is our totem in Zimbabwe.

We have GMB, Kangai ran it down and as we speak it is dysfunctional and almost everything was looted and most of these looters bought houses and the most expensive cars at the expense of the economy and these gaps were never closed.

We come closer home, Zimbabwe discovered precious minerals, the alluvial diamonds but as we speak these diamonds were looted and some cabinet ministers bought almost half of Bulawayo and Victoria falls using cash from the loot and these officials are always recycled to the same posts in the Government of Zimbabwe.

If you see someone buying a bank, top range buildings and all safari lodges within a short space of time, it must be an alarm to the citizenry. Not even a single official was arrested over these diamond cases. It was reported by the head of the state that this country lost 15 billion through leakages but nothing happened.

Where do we stand as a nation? This is a serious gap that is difficult to cover. NetOne as a state company was recently looted when it was discovered that Mandiwanzira directed that an audit be conducted by a company that was affiliated to him, and that company was awarded a 4 million tender without following tender procedures that are clearly stipulated in the constitution.

This is clear corruption and Supa is still a cabinet minister and one wonders where this country is going? Potraz gave him $200 000 to buy a vehicle yet the Government gives ministers cars for use in the Government and one wonders what is happening.Does this mean that Zimbabweans are fools or we are stupid and we don’t reason? Who is going to close this gap in our economy?

We have a cases of ZESA, one of the biggest companies that have been doing well in the past but it has been seriously affected by the looting spree from state officials. Recently it awarded big tenders to criminals and corrupt people when it’s already bleeding.

Dema diesel plant has a lot of controversies surrounding it. As we speak we are in serious arrears with South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia over electricity matters yet we went on to construct a plant which was not even necessary.

We have a Brazil project which sponsored the Government with agricultural inputs and mechanisation schemes, but as we speak the programme benefited people on partisan and factional lines. The actual farmers who were supposed to benefit never received anything.

My question is then how is Zimbabwe going to close this gap of creditors? How are we going to repay these loans to the international creditors? In the past our properties went under hammer in South Africa because of serious debts.

We had a chaotic land reform which was never planned and as we speak we have food security problems in this country because of this. Zimbabwe is now getting grain from Zambia, the same farmers we chased away are now supplying grain to us.

My question is who actually benefited from this land scam and chaotic reform? We have more than 60 000 ghost workers in the name of youth officers’ country wide who are draining from the fiscus yet on a daily basis we blame sanctions.

We have put sanctions for ourselves, how do we expect to have meaningful investments when we are not disciplined financially? As we speak, the treasury is struggling to pay civil servants because of a bloated Government.

 DECLARATION OF ASSETS IS KEY TO STRUCTURAL GAPS IN THE ECONOMY

All senior servants must declare assets to the parliament of Zimbabwe and provide evidence to the Parliament of Zimbabwe how they got these assets. Zambia as a country amended their constitution to make sure that anyone who assumes public office including the presidential office has declared that he has 23 million in his account. This is good for the nation and it’s an important economic factor.

We as Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability (MINDS) are advocating for this idea which has to be engineered by the parliament. We have serious structural gaps in our economy. All ministers must declare their assets to the parliament of Zimbabwe accompanied by evidence of how they acquired them.

 MINISTERS MUST TERM LIMITS (AT LEAST ONE TERM ONLY)

I admired Zambia’s constitution when I was conducting my research as a development analyst. They have put a clause which does not permit ministers to serve for two terms. This is good for the nation.

We have people in the cabinet who have been serving in the Government of Zimbabwe for two decades and how are these people going to explain their wealthy in a new Zimbabwe? Accountability is the most important factor in every expenditure.

We have ministers who were involved in land scams but they are still occupying public office. Kasukuwere and Chombo were involved in land scams but nothing has materialised. There is need for civil societies, churches, opposition, academics to push for this clause so that we have a clean cabinet altogether.

Our economy is bleeding because of these corrupt officials who can’t even account for their wealth. Ministers must occupy office for one term only. We have ministers who own private jets, mining concessions and this has to be explained to the public were they got these concessions from, and who gave them?

 EVERY GOVERNMENT MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC

It is the right of the citizen to know the day to day running affairs of the Government and its expenditure. Some of the reasons why international financiers cannot give us any meaningful credit is because of our financial irregularities and the position of our expenditure.

We have serious leakages in our reserves. It’s important for the Government to publish their income and expenditure and be transparent in their transactions to promote credibility of the Government.

Tinashe E Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Director of Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability and he can be contacted at [email protected]