TOMORROW Zimbabwe turns 43.

It has been 43 long years of twists and turns and as the country opens a new chapter we all hope that a brighter future awaits us all.

However, while we remain unwaveringly hopeful for a better future, it is quite concerning to realise that on this journey we appear not to be moving as a family. The leadership, in particular, appears wont on forging ahead with a mindset that they know what is best for the country and will not be lectured by anyone on how to steer the ship called Zimbabwe into calmer waters.

Particularly worrying is that despite the fact that the ship called Zimbabwe has floated into a minefield of deadly icebergs, our leaders appear the least interested in the apparent disaster threatening the ship.

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed control of the country in 2018, one of the major issues he resolutely vowed to fight was corruption, which has been haunting the country since independence in 1980. But, sadly, five years into his reign and 43 years of Zimbabwe’s self-rule, corruption is now endemic and has splintered into dozens of icebergs, some of which are floating too close for comfort to the ship called Zimbabwe.

And despite having been warned of these dangerous icebergs by, for instance, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera international news channel that the country is losing billions through gold smuggling and money laundering Mnangagwa appears not to be heeding the disaster warnings.

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In fact, he appears so uninterested that in his weekly column in one of the State-run papers nowhere did he ever mention the fight against corruption, let alone the gold smuggling and money laundering allegations being raised by Al Jazeera, yet these are some of the most dangerous icebergs currently floating around the ship called Zimbabwe.

His silence is unprecedented and more than worrying.

In his Sunday article, Mnangagwa dwelt on the mundane and sounded like someone fantasising about utopia, while calamity is threatening to swallow them. He talks about a peaceful Zimbabwe, while eulogising and revering those who sacrificed their lives to bring that peace and Zimbabwe’s independence.

It is, however, very disturbing, to say the least, that he appears completely oblivious to the fact that that very peace is being threatened by people who are looting the very resources many people sacrificed their lives for with the hope that all Zimbabweans would enjoy them.

We believe it cannot be business as usual when our own gold and other resources that should be developing this country are being plundered and spirited away by a few individuals. We really hope in his address tomorrow in Mt Darwin to commemorate the country’s 43rd independence, Mnangagwa will set the record straight on this burning issue of our gold which is reportedly being  stolen from right under our noses.