Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) have brushed aside claims by the government that the economy is steadily recovering describing it as a “faceless growth” in the wake of a worsening economic conditions for the ordinary citizens.
Government is on record that it has introduced reforms to tame inflation and as a result annual inflation will this year drop to between 30 and 25 percent from over 60 percent in 2021 yet prices continue to rise with February month-on-month inflation reaching 7 percent, the highest since August 2020.
Addressing journalists in Harare, CiZC chairperson Peter Mutasa said the current economic model does not serve citizens.
“Contrary to the propaganda we are fed by the ZANU PF aligned media daily that the economy is rebounding, we have continued to witness serious shortcomings in terms of our economic governance, the dilapidation of our infrastructure with corruption being a key impediment to economic recovery,” said Mutasa.
He said at the core of the deteriorating economic situation is the rampant corruption and abuse of office by those in power which have been left to thrive.
“Crony capitalism has indeed taken root, as a few politically connected and exposed persons clinch the majority of state tenders through the Zimbabwe Investment Development Act (ZIDA); this has been most notable in the mining, agricultural and road construction sectors. It is worth highlighting that with the state of our economy, the government has become the biggest employer and source of such tenders.”
Giving reference to the 2020 Drax scandal, Mutasa said many corruption cases in the country have not been prosecuted despite evidence implicating known individuals.
“Many other cases of misappropriation of state resources have been reported including by high-ranking officials; some by the Office of the Auditor-General; others have been reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). But as has become the norm, it is only ‘catch and release’ as perpetrators of financial impropriety continue to walk scot-free.
“The current ‘faceless economic growth’ model being pursued by the current government does not serve the citizens but a few cronies connected to the ruling party. The mega-deals in mining which are projected to grow the economy are not benefitting the country and the host communities. The black granite of the country continues to be shipped off to other countries for a pittance, with host communities facing the brunt of an arrogant extracting expatriate force with little regard for their rights as locals – this is to the extent of even desecrating graves in the rural hinterlands,” said Mutasa.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has on countless time declared zero tolerance to corruption, but on the ground, there is little evidence to support this commitment.
