IT is hard to believe that while ordinary Zimbabweans are struggling to put food on the table, those in power are busy looting millions of dollars through shady deals.
The latest scandal, allegedly involving a high-ranking Finance Ministry official, is not just another headline. It is a slap in the face to every citizen who has watched public funds vanishing due to corruption and mismanagement.
Let us break it down.
A mysterious company with no real history or credibility somehow gets handed a US$100 million pay-out for debts owed for gold deliveries. But here is the kicker — the original debt was supposedly US$60 million, then magically reduced to US$20 million through Treasury Bills. Yet somehow, the government is now committed to paying nearly US$100 million in instalments.
Does that make sense to anyone? Of course not. This is not a mistake — it is theft, plain and simple. And who is behind the concerned company? Reports link it to a well-connected Zanu PF legislator and gold baron. Is it not convenient how these deals always seem to benefit the same powerful people while the rest of Zimbabweans suffer?
Just weeks before the gold scandal broke, the same top government official allegedly guaranteed a US$20 million loan for a company tied to the disgraced Command Agriculture programme.
How many more of these crooked deals do Zimbabweans have to endure? None of this is legal.
The Public Finance Management Act clearly states that only the Finance Minister — not a permanent secretary — can approve such transactions.
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Yet someone is acting as if they are above the law, signing off millions without oversight.If this is not corruption, what is?
A leading bank stands accused of being the central player in this questionable deal, serving as both the conduit and the purchaser of Treasury Bills at a steeply- discounted rate of US$20 million — just one third of their actual value.
If this is proven by an audit, the concerned bank’s management must explain.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government cannot keep pretending it does not see what is happening. The President has promised zero tolerance for corruption, but so far, all we have seen is zero consequences for looters. If this government is serious about cleaning up its act, officials linked to shady deals must be fired and prosecuted.
Every cent of that US$100 million must be accounted for.
Anti-corruption agencies and Parliament must take action. They must hold those involved accountable. It is surprising that they are silent. Zimbabweans are tired of empty promises.
They are tired of watching a handful of elites get richer while the rest of the population struggle. It is time for real action.
No more looting. No more lies. Looters must be held accountable — now.
