The Nelson Chamisa led Movement for Democratic Change has called on President Mnangagwa to honor his promise by naming people involved in externalizing foreign currency saying his list is dominated by companies leaving out Zanu PF bigwigs who are conspicuous by their absence from the roll of shame.
According to MDC-T Secretary for Economic Affairs, Dr Tapiwa Mashakada said Mnangagwa’s list is a well orchestrated move to shield ZANU PF big wigs who were involved in all sorts of illicit financial flows.
“The list is dominated by companies. It is common cause that due to lack of confidence and the shortage of foreign currency most companies exercised due diligence by keeping money off shore in order to finance imports and service off shore financial obligations such as loans and other financial commitments. How else could these companies survive without access to foreign currency? ” said Mashakada.
He added, “Conspicuous by their absence are Zanu PF big wigs and sharks who have been looting our national resources through the plunder of diamonds and asset stripping.”
He accused government of lying and promising things that they cannot do which has eroded people’s confidence in their administration.
“Confidence was lost and there was massive capital flight. Government responded by introducing bond notes as a so-called export incentive when in fact it was a clever way of reintroducing the Zim dollar albeit with restricted circulation.
“Government lied that the bond note was going to be at par with the United States dollar which was a fallacy that I exposed from the onset. I argued that it would never happen that way. I also warned that the black market would resurface, prices will increase and companies will hedge themselves through externalization. This is what exactly happened. And this is the context within which this externalization should be understood,” added Mashakada.
Mashakada went on to say, “What this shows is that government has backtracked on its initial intention of exposing individuals involved in real illicit financial outflows. By publishing a list dominated by companies, government is simply posturing and actually camouflaging and protecting real culprits who are the big wigs in Zanu PF.”
He called on the government to release the real list of people who externalized foreign currency and stop shaming companies that did not acquit their export forms to the central bank.
“As MDC we demand full accountability and transparency. The list is meant to protect looters. We are waiting for the real list of individuals who privately externalized funds and prejudiced Zimbabwe billions of dollars. On top of the list should be those who externalized $15 billion. All in all the published list is just but a public relations exercise,” Mashakada said.
Critics have trashed Mnangagwa’s list of individuals and companies involved in externalizing foreign currency saying the absence of Zanu PF bigwigs makes the list a joke but pro-government analysts have hailed the list as a serious show of intent which proves that the new dispensation means business.
