While we were coming to terms with the reality of a military takeover in Zimbabwe on 15 November 2017, the new President of Angola, President João Lourenço was deviating from his predecessors’ stance on corruption and cronyism. He first fired the entire board of Angola’s state oil company Sonangol, including its chair Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former President Dos Santos.
The adage of not biting the hand that feeds you rings true in Africa. The one who appoints might never disappoint as long as one plays cleverly to the whims and directives of the appointing authority. When Lourenco was appointed as successor by the former President, critics of the Dos Santos administration predicted that the new elect was going to continue where Dos Santos left and protect his interests. But alas, the new President has deviated from the set norm and has gone on to try and cleanse and usher in a new dispensation. Of interest the firing of 60 government officials and heads of the state diamond firms (Endiama and Sodiam) highlight how the new President is willing to get rid of cronyism that had crippled the country. His swiftness in dealing with the Sonangol rot also shows his ambition for the nation given that oil accounts for 45% of the country’s GDP, 75% of government revenues, and 98% of foreign exchange income. Enough about Angola.
Although President Mnangagwa meteoritic rise to the highest office in the land was unconstitutional (at least in my view) his stance on corruption has been welcomed by citizens. It is true that corruption had crippled prospects for economic revival and the countless roadblocks mounted by the police demonstrated how corruption has become institutionalized even by authorities who are supposed to enforce the law. President Mnangagwa approach to corruption has somewhat been different from Lourenço’s in the sense that there appears to be a selection application of arrest by the corruption body, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
In November 2017, the President Mnangagwa called on people who illegally externalized money to return the money within three months. He also highlighted that there will be a three-month period in which people can return the funds without any fear of prosecution. However, after the three-month period elapses, the authorities will start making arrests. This in my view was progressive. In the subsequent months’ senior politicians such as Ignatius Chombo, Kudzai Chipanga among other high profile officials were arraigned before the courts facing numerous counts of corruption. At the time of writing this piece, former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi and erstwhile Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge are the latest high profile politicians to be arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of abuse of office. Though the fight against corruption is laudable, but when it appears to target only politicians linked to the G40 cabal while seemingly protecting others, then it becomes worrisome.
In my last installment I noted that the President’s cabinet was uninspiring as it appeared to be a rewarding exercise for his loyalists and cronies who had facilitated his ascendancy to the throne. A lot of Ministers in the mold of Obert Mpofu and Supa Mandiwanzira were named is his cabinet. This again generated a lot of debate since some of the ministers have been implicated in cases of corruption.
Will the President Act on his cronies?
The recent scandal involving Supa Mandiwanzira, the Minister of Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security who stands accused of criminal abuse of office or corruption is a litmus test for the President. Mandiwanzira allegations were leveled against him by former Netone CEO, Reward Kangai who allege that Mandiwanzira engaged a South African firm for consultation services without going to tender as is standard procedure. Kangai as Netone CEO at the time was then shocked to receive an invoice for $4m which he claims that neither he as CEO or the other board members knew about. It is this scandal that pushed Kangai out of Netone after he refused to honour the invoice claiming it was illegal for him to do so. He further claims that he alerted Netone chairman and the chairman told him that the parastatal had to protect the minister. The most glaring derive from the graft within parastatals especially the overarching roles that government Ministers have in the running of parastatals is not only endemic but has done much more to undermine growth and discourage investment. The Mandiwanzira case will prove the President’s sincerity on corruption as it involves one of his own.
Wither the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission?
Every time I have come across the work of this commission, its either it will be accused for investigating government officials in order to settle ZANU PF factional wars or high sounding nothing threats through its Chairperson, one Goodson Nguni. What is even worrisome is the fact that Nguni himself has in the past been accused of corruption. There are several politicians who are under investigation by the commission. For example, the findings of the ZIMDEF scandal were never publicized. What is even more worrying being that ZACC has coincidentally instigated a series of arrests against politicians who in the past opposed Mnangagwa ascendancy to the Presidency.
The reports that Minister Mandiwanzira is under investigation by the ZACC must not excite any progressive citizen rather it must expose the lack of independence and inability of the Commission to deal with cases of corruption decisively due to continued interference by politicians. The Mandiwanzira scandal represents a test for the new President due to the fact that the evidence of Mandiwanzira illicit involvement is there for all to see.
In the final analysis, corruption and not sanctions have caused serious hemorrhage for our economy. The no-tolerance call to corruption by the President must be lauded. Beyond the call, the President must put words into action and prosecute even his cronies who have/will be implicated in corruption and graft. The days ahead will have more eyes.
Rawlings Magede writes in his personal capacity.he tweets @rawedges and contactable on vamagede@gmail.com
The adage of not biting the hand that feeds you rings true in Africa. The one who appoints might never disappoint as long as one plays cleverly to the whims and directives of the appointing authority. When Lourenco was appointed as successor by the former President, critics of the Dos Santos administration predicted that the new elect was going to continue where Dos Santos left and protect his interests. But alas, the new President has deviated from the set norm and has gone on to try and cleanse and usher in a new dispensation. Of interest the firing of 60 government officials and heads of the state diamond firms (Endiama and Sodiam) highlight how the new President is willing to get rid of cronyism that had crippled the country. His swiftness in dealing with the Sonangol rot also shows his ambition for the nation given that oil accounts for 45% of the country’s GDP, 75% of government revenues, and 98% of foreign exchange income. Enough about Angola.
Although President Mnangagwa meteoritic rise to the highest office in the land was unconstitutional (at least in my view) his stance on corruption has been welcomed by citizens. It is true that corruption had crippled prospects for economic revival and the countless roadblocks mounted by the police demonstrated how corruption has become institutionalized even by authorities who are supposed to enforce the law. President Mnangagwa approach to corruption has somewhat been different from Lourenço’s in the sense that there appears to be a selection application of arrest by the corruption body, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
In November 2017, the President Mnangagwa called on people who illegally externalized money to return the money within three months. He also highlighted that there will be a three-month period in which people can return the funds without any fear of prosecution. However, after the three-month period elapses, the authorities will start making arrests. This in my view was progressive. In the subsequent months’ senior politicians such as Ignatius Chombo, Kudzai Chipanga among other high profile officials were arraigned before the courts facing numerous counts of corruption. At the time of writing this piece, former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi and erstwhile Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge are the latest high profile politicians to be arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of abuse of office. Though the fight against corruption is laudable, but when it appears to target only politicians linked to the G40 cabal while seemingly protecting others, then it becomes worrisome.
In my last installment I noted that the President’s cabinet was uninspiring as it appeared to be a rewarding exercise for his loyalists and cronies who had facilitated his ascendancy to the throne. A lot of Ministers in the mold of Obert Mpofu and Supa Mandiwanzira were named is his cabinet. This again generated a lot of debate since some of the ministers have been implicated in cases of corruption.
Will the President Act on his cronies?
The recent scandal involving Supa Mandiwanzira, the Minister of Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security who stands accused of criminal abuse of office or corruption is a litmus test for the President. Mandiwanzira allegations were leveled against him by former Netone CEO, Reward Kangai who allege that Mandiwanzira engaged a South African firm for consultation services without going to tender as is standard procedure. Kangai as Netone CEO at the time was then shocked to receive an invoice for $4m which he claims that neither he as CEO or the other board members knew about. It is this scandal that pushed Kangai out of Netone after he refused to honour the invoice claiming it was illegal for him to do so. He further claims that he alerted Netone chairman and the chairman told him that the parastatal had to protect the minister. The most glaring derive from the graft within parastatals especially the overarching roles that government Ministers have in the running of parastatals is not only endemic but has done much more to undermine growth and discourage investment. The Mandiwanzira case will prove the President’s sincerity on corruption as it involves one of his own.
Wither the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission?
Every time I have come across the work of this commission, its either it will be accused for investigating government officials in order to settle ZANU PF factional wars or high sounding nothing threats through its Chairperson, one Goodson Nguni. What is even worrisome is the fact that Nguni himself has in the past been accused of corruption. There are several politicians who are under investigation by the commission. For example, the findings of the ZIMDEF scandal were never publicized. What is even more worrying being that ZACC has coincidentally instigated a series of arrests against politicians who in the past opposed Mnangagwa ascendancy to the Presidency.
The reports that Minister Mandiwanzira is under investigation by the ZACC must not excite any progressive citizen rather it must expose the lack of independence and inability of the Commission to deal with cases of corruption decisively due to continued interference by politicians. The Mandiwanzira scandal represents a test for the new President due to the fact that the evidence of Mandiwanzira illicit involvement is there for all to see.
In the final analysis, corruption and not sanctions have caused serious hemorrhage for our economy. The no-tolerance call to corruption by the President must be lauded. Beyond the call, the President must put words into action and prosecute even his cronies who have/will be implicated in corruption and graft. The days ahead will have more eyes.
Rawlings Magede writes in his personal capacity.he tweets @rawedges and contactable on vamagede@gmail.com
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