By Own Correspondent| Corruption has been a cancer which has eaten its way to the heart of Zimbabwe’s social, economic and political landscape for the past thirty years.
The scourge was prevalent during the Robert Mugabe era and it is now engraved in the DNA of the current administration led by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe was at one time ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and sadly, little has changed in the post-Mugabe era in Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa having been heralded as the bearer of change and a break away from the old authoritarian rule and economic mismanagement, immediately upon inauguration declared an open war on corruption stating “acts of corruption must stop forthwith, every case of corruption must be investigated and punished in accordance with the dictates of our law”.
After two years in power, to what extent has Mnangagwa managed to curb corruption? In short, its bleak.
With the recent arrests of the Health and childcare minister Obadiah Moyo, for alleged corruption related to the procurement of Covid-19 test kits and medical equipment to combat the corona virus pandemic, endangering the lives of our health care worker who had to fight the virus with little to no PPE. Mr. Moyo was granted bail and is set to appear before the court again on the 31st of July.
Moyo became the second minister to be arrested on charges of corruption in Mnangagwa’s government, after the arrest of the former minister of tourism Prisca Mupfumira on corruption charges involving $95 million from the state pension fund.
Both ministers have proven to be part of a dysfunctional ruling power, institutionalized corruption scheme and power-hungry leader who are willing to serve self over masses.
Until actual arrests have been made and justice served the President’s fight against corruption is just but a lip service which is not baked up with action.
“The recent admission by President Mnangagwa of corruption within the top government officials point to a deep rooted problem within our government and show how corruption is embedded in Zanu pf’s DNA.
The only way to deal with such a system is to cut the head off the snake,” said Sandra Bvungidzire a political activist based in the diaspora .
Until such a time when the government takes a radical step towards the fight against corruption by not sparing the rod to all political heavy weights who engage in the abuse of office, our country will remain in a free fall path towards destruction.