Mugabe's ministers loot scare maize for resale outside country

By Tererai Karimakwenda
22 November 2005

The Zim Online news site reports that senior government and ZANU-PF politicians have siphoned more than a million tonnes of scarce maize from the state's Grain Marketing Board since last November. The story refers to a confidential government report that says the scarce maize imported by the government for the people was being sold in most cases outside the country.

Zim online says the report was compiled last month by the government's Ministry of Anti-Corruption and Anti-Monopolies and has been kept a closely-guarded secret until last weekend. The report claims top ZANU PF officials, MP’s and state security commanders used their political clout to buy maize from the GMB at heavily subsidised prices. They later resold the maize at highly inflated prices or exported it to neighbouring Mozambique where there is a thriving black-market.

The officials who are supposed to take care of the people and protect them are actually depriving them of their most basic needs. Shortages of maize and high prices on the black market have brought hunger to many Zimbabweans. And if The Anti-Corruption Ministry knows who is contributing to these shortages, they should be arrested. But no arrests have been made and no names have been exposed. According to Zim Online, the report says to prosecute the officials would "mean arraigning the whole government, from security chiefs, MPs, ministers and party officials.”

In a separate case Leo Mugabe and his wife Veronica were accused of smuggling 30 tonnes of wheat flour to Mozambique, but were freed by the courts last week after the state declined to prosecute. Other government officials are taking commercial farms illegally with impunity. In the lowveld, a police commissioner has been stealing equipment from farmers accompanied by armed soldiers and police. The government has also taken businesses from individuals who fell out of favour with the ruling party and accused them of corruption. Looting is rampant around the country as lawlessness continues. Seems it’s open season as far as corruption is concerned.