Corruption endemic in Zimbabwe

By Tichaona Sibanda
19 October 2006

MDC acting treasurer-general Elton Mangoma claimed on Thursday that corruption in Zimbabwe has become ‘endemic’ and nobody, including Robert Mugabe, has the power or strength to stop it.

He said the problem of corruption in the country is not new but high profile corruption is growing in leaps and bounds as recent events with the Ziscosteel saga show.

Commenting on the Ziscosteel saga that has rocked the Mugabe regime to its foundations, the MDC finance chief said since independence in 1980 Zanu (PF) officials have been looting the treasury with impunity.

‘Zimbabweans are suffering today because those in a position of authority are mindless looters. Thus, in a notoriously corrupt society such as ours many people are ready to offer and receive bribes and compromise their official position. This mentality is impacting negatively on public policies and the growth and development of the society,’ Mangoma said.

Expanding on the subject of graft, Mangoma added that there are many unresolved problems in the country, but the issue of the upsurge of corruption is troubling.

‘And the damages it has done to government are astronomical. The menace of corruption leads to slow movement of files in the civil service, leading to fuel and bread shortages and election irregularities, among others,’ he said.

The lack of political momentum in Zimbabwe to counter corruption remains all too clear. The collapse of the Ziscosteel-Global Steel Holdings US$400 million deal is an indictment of the manner in which such vital Zimbabwean entities are being ruined.

Mangoma said the Redcliff based steelmaker had signed the mega deal with GSHL to rehabilitate production plants and to help it to improve it’s production. In return GSHL would have been entitled to operate the refurbished assets and manage Ziscosteel’s operations for 20 years, after which management control would revert to the government of Zimbabwe.

Mangoma believes the Indian based firm allegedly reneged on the deal and took flight back to the subcontinent after a damning report on the operations of the steelmaker unearthed some massive underhand dealings that left the company bleeding.

The report, not yet made public, led to Industry and International Trade minister Obert Mpofu telling parliament last month that ‘influential people’ had pillaged Ziscosteel through shoddy deals.

Mpofu, who has since backtracked on his earlier statement, said then that the report nailed top officials, ‘including colleagues of mine in this parliament.’

Government has made it clear it will not publish the devastating report as it could further damage the country’s already battered image. Sources told us Thursday the report on Ziscosteel will be kept under wraps like the Gukurahundi and other reports because of fears it will claim high-profile political casualties. The sources said the saga could ruin the political careers of people like Zanu (PF) strongman and presidential hopeful Emmerson Mnangagwa.