THE volatile political and social situation in the country is a reflection of what was left by the late former President Robert Mugabe. His successor Emmerson Mnangagwa has managed to perfect the art of bad governance.
Democratic tenets are being cajoled and sent to the slaughter room and manifesting in a kakistocracy government.
The once breadbasket of Africa has become a laughing stock of the whole continent. Zimbabwe is endowed with vast mineral resources, but the people are still living in abject poverty. The resources are being plundered by the politically-connected.
Mnangagwa has failed and cannot continue to take charge and preside over the nation’s matters.
Political opponents have been harassed and arrested on trumped-up charges. The law is weaponised against the opposition Citizens for Coalition Change party. Selective application of the law is the order of the day.
Those aligned to the ruling Zanu PF party commit crime with impunity.
In other countries, the opposition is not treated like an enemy, but embraced as a key stakeholder in nurturing democracy.
Zimbabwe needs a leadership which is selfless, dynamic and ready to wage an economic war to reduce poverty.
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The Mnangagwa government has no appetite and commitment for nation building. The regime is pampering ministers, deputy ministers and Central Intelligence Organisation bosses, while the majority are suffering.
The economic turmoil being faced by our country is a result of poor governance and corruption. We are rich, but unfortunately we have a leadership kwashiorkor.
The country needs new blood. This current leadership is tired and clueless and very much obsessed with the past than development. - Leonard Koni
Corruption remains a threat to education
ZIMBABWE Women Against Corruption Trust joins the world in commemorating International Day of Education 2023 celebrated under the theme To Invest in People, Prioritise Education. Education is a basic human right and other rights are premised on it. Without equal access to education and learning opportunities for all, it will be difficult to achieve gender equality, break the cycle of poverty and fight corruption, which is a barrier to economic development.
The commemorations come at a time when equal access to education is continuously being restricted by barriers such as corruption. Teachers in public schools are demanding money for in-class extra lessons from learners, a move which is fuelling discrimination among learners.
The level of inequality between learners coming from poor families and those coming from richer ones is widening. Attention is being given to those who afford paying and those who cannot are being deprived equal access to quality education.
Parents are left at the mercy of these teachers as they will be forced to make the informal payments. The right to education is enshrined in section 75 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. This basic human right enables citizens to know other human rights and hold office bearers accountable. Sustainable development goal number four aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Corruption remains a major threat to the achievement of this sustainable development. The impact of education sector corruption is more severe because of its long-term effects on learners.
Education has the potential to transform people’s livelihood, therefore, it is important to make it accessible and affordable to everyone. We applaud government efforts in assisting some vulnerable children through the Basic Education Assistance Module programme.
Furthermore, the education sector receives the highest budget allocation from the national purse.
Sadly, corruption remains a threat to equal access to quality education. We, therefore, recommend that the government should improve monitoring systems in schools to make sure that all learners have equal access to education. The issue of extra lessons is taking long to be addressed and we call upon government to investigate and address corruption in the education sector.
Weak co-ordination efforts from various anti-corruption stakeholders is another reason why corruption remains rampant in the country. There is need for a multi-stakeholder approach to fight corruption because most cases are left unattended.
We encourage government to continue addressing other issues like improving working conditions and remuneration of teachers since it is cited as one of the push factors of education sector corruption. - Zimbabwe Women Against Corruption Trust
Why was army licensed to export lithium ore?
THE attempt by the Zanu PF government to suggest that the army was being granted the licence to export lithium ore because the Zimbabwe Defence Industry (ZDI) is still under Western-imposed sanctions is pathetic and irrational. If everything that the army touches is subject to the sanctions, then why is ZDI able to export the ore, but cannot invest in lithium ore processing plant?
There is a simple reason why the army, ahead of everyone else, got the lucrative licence to export lithium ore.
The Zanu PF regime owes the top brass in the army and other security services a big favour and it is payback time.
The army, police, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and prison services played a pivotal role in the 2008 Operation Mavhotera Papi (Where did you place your vote), in which Zanu PF, berserk with fury, sought to punish voters for daring to reject the ruling party in the March 2008 vote.
The country’s security services provided the backing for the Zanu PF militia and war veterans, who were the foot soldiers doing most of the harassment, beating and raping, and the security personnel did most of the dirty work, including abducting and murdering opposition activists.
The late former President Robert Mugabe rewarded the top brass in the security services for their role in keeping Zanu PF in power by granting them the now infamous diamond mining concession in Marange and Chiadzwa.
The concession allowed the holders to mine without keeping a record of the quality or quantity of diamonds found, to whom the diamonds were sold, for how much and who the beneficiaries of the sale were, and they were not under any legal obligation to declare their earnings for company or persona tax purposes.
In short, the concession was a State-approved looting scheme.
In time, the looting schemes have extended to other areas such as gold and platinum mining and extended to other fields such as energy and it has been said that the service provider for Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) data is an army-owned subsidiary.
The report that the army has been granted the right to export lithium ore is not surprising in the context of the wholesale looting of the nation’s resources that is happening, especially by the military.
Truth be told, there was probably no one willing to team up with the military or one of the other looting syndicates to build a lithium smelter.
Let’s face it, Zimbabwe is a failed, pariah State, ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs. The country has become the by-word for chaos and the criminal waste of human and material resources. - Nomsa Garikai
IN response to Slain cop’s mother berates ZRP, BERNARD MUKANDI says: Overall, police should revisit scene attendance curriculum. For example, the officers were informed of a shooting incident. They drove straight to the crime scene without taking due caution or sensing danger. I suggest they should have left the car a distance away and then ambushed the suspected criminal. How can they drive straight into the crime scene to arrest someone who is armed? Death is always painful but with regret, the scene was poorly attended. Police duties and investigations manual should be enriched.
ANDREW CHIGEZA says: The mother of slain former officer-in-charge at Hwedza Police Station is right because if the Zanu PF-led government had bought proper vehicles for the police, his death would have been avoided. It is just that our leadership does not value its workers.
IN response to Amacimbi harvesters leave trail of destruction, EPHRAIM MAKARA says: It’s the lawlessness our leaders have created on our land. Now it seems like it’s each man for himself. Destructive forces are and have been on the loose for years. We have no future as a nation. Our leaders in government have let us down. I appeal to these leaders as it is their mandate to see that there is law and order in the country. Do those in power realise that they are destroying this great nation all for greed?
OLIVER KRISH says: Because of poverty authored by Zanu PF, bad politics has serious repercussions.
IN response to Police must enforce, not defy rule of law, HON CRISS says: Zimbabwe is an autocratic State. The police did not only bash a lawyer, they persecuted him with laughable criminal nuisance and escaping lawful custody charges. They have previously done the same to another prolific lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa. What kind of police are they?
IN response to Zinara to disburse $98bn to councils, SAL KHAN says: The Zimbabwe National Road Administration should disburse that money to companies like Bitumen World to repair all potholed roads. Councils are corrupt. The money will be channelled towards salaries and bonuses.
IN response to Mine deaths haunt ED ally, MUZUKURU MABOTA says: Where is the Mines minister Winston Chitando? It would be most welcoming if he suspends the mine’s operating licence just like what the Transport minister did to Zebra Kiss and Rimbi Tours bus operators
