PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says he is dismayed to discover that members of his inner circle are demanding upwards of 5 million rands to organise one-on-one meetings between himself and would-be investors.
Ironically, Mnangagwa rose to power through a military intervention of November 2017 which was founded on the principle of removing “criminals surrounding” Robert Mugabe.
He later retained the presidency after edging MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa in the July 30 elections. Addressing a Zanu PF Central Committee meeting in Harare on Wednesday morning, Mnangagwa said the corrupt acts were extending to various ministries and government departments. “Zimbabwe is Open for Business is an attractive mantra that has opened up the country,” Mnangagwa told delegates, adding that investors are being asked to pay huge amounts of money to have access to ministers or the president. “They say before I take you, pay up. One person told me that he was charged 5 million rand to come see me. He was told that three quarters of the money would go to the president (and the other quarter to the fixer),”Mnangagwa added. “So corruption, corruption, corruption, down with corruption.
Being asked to pay to see the Vice president (Constantino) Chiwenga to see (Defence minister Oppah) Muchinguri, down with corruption.” “Under our new dispensation we do not tolerate corruption,”Mnangagwa said, insisting that the economy “is now the task facing the country.”
In 2015, Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote failed to invest a cent in the crisis-torn southern African nation due to allegations of bribe demands by Mugabe’s Cabinet ministers. – Mail & Telegraph.
