Gold Smuggling Scandal
In February and March 2023, an alarming documentary by Al Jazeera revealed evidence of illicit gold trading in Zimbabwe. Despite gold production contributing over 33% of mineral production, it only generates less than 1% of tax revenue due to these illicit activities.
The documentary uncovered an unsettling state-endorsed operation employing money laundering techniques to export gold to Dubai and other destinations.
Most concerning was the implication of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa as the alleged leader of this illicit trade. Despite compelling evidence, no arrests or transparent investigations have taken place, allowing the plunder to persist.
Comatose Economy
2023 brought about one of the stormiest economic periods of the past five years. According to Professor Steve Hanke, Zimbabwe suffered consistent record-breaking inflation rates, at times exceeding 900% and reaching a peak of 1000%.
This instability led to acute poverty, with over 42% of the population grappling with hunger in early 2024. Agricultural production, particularly maize, was severely affected, amplifying shortages.
Moreover, Zanu PF elites exploited Command Agriculture for their own gain, further contributing to economic chaos.
Persecution, Abductions, Torture, Murder and Injustice
The prolonged imprisonment of Job Sikhala stands as a flagrant violation of democracy in Zimbabwe. Despite being acquitted in two cases, he languishes in prison without conviction.
Similarly, Jacob Ngarivhume faced unjust incarceration for eight months before his acquittal in the High Court. Several members, including Womberaishe Nhende, Hon James Chidakwa, and Hon Takudzwa Ngadziore, suffered abductions, torture, and injection with unknown substances.
In a harrowing incident, Bishop Tapfumaneyi Masaya was abducted and found murdered two days later, with no investigations or arrests.
Tinashe Chitsunge, a change champion, was brutally murdered by Zanu PF assailants just weeks before the disputed elections. Student activists faced arbitrary arrests and harassment, while many members encountered false charges in court.
Flawed Election Conduct
After 42 years of misrule, the lack of genuine interest in democratic reform was starkly evident during the General Elections on 23 August. The world bore witness to an election process marred by irregularities, rendering it neither fair nor credible.
Voters waited in queues for more than 24 hours, and the case of the Bulawayo 12 highlighted significant ballot irregularities.
Assisted voting, voter harassment, and leveraging traditional leaders to influence votes further tarnished the electoral process. Failure to address human rights and election reform continues to impede Zimbabwe from attaining vital assistance.
Failure to Alleviate the Water Crisis
The Zanu PF government has failed to provide clean and safe water in urban areas, resulting in a cholera crisis.
Since February, there have been nearly 6,000 reported cases and 123 suspected deaths. Cholera is a preventable and treatable disease, but access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities is lacking.
Electricity Shortfall Mismanagement
The persistence of Zimbabwe’s electricity crisis remains a grave concern. Despite substantial expenditures exceeding US$1.4 billion, reliance on outdated units has left the nation generating less than half of the required electricity. Frequent failures of thermal units compound the problem.
Further Subjugation of the People’s Will
Following the August 2023 election, a series of events unfolded, orchestrated by a state-sponsored proxy, leading to the illegal recalls of CCC members of parliament who had been democratically elected and sworn in less than a month earlier.
Despite CCC’s objections, the speaker of parliament upheld these actions without recourse. This marked the beginning of an ongoing onslaught against the citizen’s’ movement.
The courts have also been abused in this plot, delivering midnight judgments to remove CCC candidates from the ballots, ensuring default wins for Zanu PF.
This blatant disregard for the people’s right to vote is unprecedented in the history of Zimbabwe. One of the default Zanu PF winners, Scott Sakupwanya, was also identified in the gold mafia documentary as an “official smuggler.”
2023 has revealed that Zanu PF is not only incompetent but also lacks the will to bring positive change to Zimbabwe.
Gift Ostallos Siziba is the Deputy Spokesperson of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)
Unfortunately that cooked up documentary failed to attract the intended international attention…