Vice President Constantine Chiwenga has issued a warning against what he termed “phantom entrepreneurship” and corrupt practices undermining the country’s economic integrity.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) congress in Victoria Falls, Chiwenga took aim at individuals with unclear sources of capital.
“We must shun unscrupulous, so-called business people operating from briefcases with no traceable capital or legitimate enterprise. This culture of phantom entrepreneurship, where money appears without any known source, is not only economically corrosive, but ethically bankrupt,” he told delegates.
Chiwenga said the government would not tolerate financial dealings that lack accountability or legitimacy.
“We all know that money does not fall from the heavens like manna, the time of Moses is no longer here. Real businesses are built through hard work, discipline, sacrifice and value creation.”
The Vice President also hinted at forthcoming measures targeting unethical business conduct.
“The day of reckoning is inevitable for those who undermine our economic integrity by engaging in shadowy dealings. It’s coming, let us not mortgage our nation’s future for fleeting gain. Equally imperative to this shared national and developmental vision is our corrective stance on integrity and accountability.
“As we deepen public-private partnerships and catalyse economic growth, we must decisively shun corruption. In all its ugly forms. There can be no room for rent seeking behaviour and muddy practices in a modern competitive economy,” he said.
