By A Correspondent-The late former President Robert Mugabe once warned that Emmerson Mnangagwa lacked the temperament and integrity to lead Zimbabwe.
Today, that prophetic caution appears to have come full circle as the Mnangagwa administration sinks deeper into an unprecedented looting spree, with high-level corruption now described as “widespread and systemic” by the government’s own watchdog.
Mugabe, who was ousted in a 2017 military coup that ushered in the so-called “Second Republic,” famously resisted handing over power to Mnangagwa, reportedly telling close associates that his long-time aide was “not presidential material” and would drag the country into a new era of unrestrained kleptocracy.
His fears are now being vindicated.
Confidential government documents obtained by the Zimbabwe Independent reveal a damning web of corruption implicating cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries, and senior bureaucrats who are siphoning millions from state-owned enterprises.
The funds are being diverted to finance opulent lifestyles — luxury vehicles, overseas junkets, DSTV subscriptions, gym memberships, and even hotel bills — all under the guise of “inter-ministerial collaboration.”
The looting is bleeding parastatals already in financial distress and exacerbating the burden on taxpayers, many of whom are earning below the poverty line and facing increasing taxation. Alarmed by the scale of the abuse, the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has issued an unusually blunt directive, warning that the illegal expenditures are “undermining corporate governance, compromising service delivery, and placing unsustainable pressure on the fiscus.”
According to the OPC’s Corporate Governance Unit (CGU), ministries now treat state enterprises as personal piggy banks, forcing them to bankroll unapproved activities well outside national budget frameworks.
“The Corporate Governance Unit has observed that an increasing number of state enterprises and parastatals are facing challenges with regard to increasing requests for financial and material support from their line ministries,” the June 17, 2025 circular reads.
In shocking detail, the memo outlines how public entities were strong-armed into financing foreign delegations, purchasing luxury vehicles for ministry officials, and paying for social programmes with no relation to their mandates. These included DSTV subscriptions, private club and gym memberships, stationery, car rentals, and allowances.
The directive invokes Section 23 of the Public Entities Corporate Governance (General) Regulations under Statutory Instrument 168 of 2018, which expressly prohibits the misuse of public funds and warns that culpable executives and board members will be held personally liable.
While a similar caution was issued in 2019, analysts say this renewed crackdown signals deeper frustration within government over the entrenchment of corrupt practices and a growing appetite to enforce accountability — at least on paper. However, critics remain skeptical, citing the government’s long-standing failure to prosecute high-profile looters.
“These payments are often requested by line ministries notwithstanding that line ministries funding is provided through the Treasury national budget,” the circular notes, adding that such actions are “undermining good corporate governance and stewardship of public resources.”
The CGU directive reminds executives that they are legally bound to resist unlawful orders and report them. But in a political culture where whistleblowers are punished and enforcers are complicit, the looting seems likely to persist.
For many Zimbabweans, this latest scandal reaffirms Mugabe’s chilling forecast — that Mnangagwa’s presidency would not bring reform, but rather usher in a more ruthless and institutionalised form of looting.