YESTERDAY, we woke up to the disturbing news that around 20 legislators, both from the ruling Zanu PF party and the pliant opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), gathered at the Mabelreign District Office in Harare to be allocated stands.
They reportedly received pieces of land as bribe to abstain from participating in the proposed impeachment of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. This is deeply saddening.
It is becoming increasingly clear that Mnangagwa’s loyalists are sparing no effort in their desperate bid to extend his term by two years, pushing the deadline from 2028 to 2030.
They are willing to engage in any underhand tactics to secure his survival amid a growing storm within their party.
It’s not just about his political survival; it’s also about extending the reign of corruption, greed and mismanagement that has plagued this country for years.
These individuals are eyeing their extended stay on the gravy train — a chance for another looting frenzy.
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Some, knowing that their political careers will end come 2028, are desperate to cling to power, even if it means manipulating the Constitution — the supreme law of the land — to sneak back to office through the back door.
The Constitution is sacrosanct. The supreme was adopted by the people of Zimbabwe in 2013, and since then, efforts have been made to tone it down by a group of corrupt politicians hell-bent on bastardising this foundational document to suit its selfish ambitions.
They have no shame and are willing to ignore the disastrous consequences of their policies as long as they are able to push their agenda.
As we are made to understand, yesterday, Local Government minister Daniel Garwe — one of the protagonists behind the so-called ED2030 agenda — has allocated land to MPs on greenways.
Greenways, strips of natural land preserved for environmental and recreational purposes, are critical to urban sustainability.
These areas typically include parks, paths, cycle tracks and natural corridors such as woodlands and wetlands.
They help to manage stormwater, protect biodiversity, reduce urban heat and provide essential green space for communities.
Allocation of land on wetlands and greenways is tantamount to blatant abuse of power.
This practice is not new and it will continue unless citizens stand up and speak out.
The seizure of greenways for development purposes must be condemned in the strongest terms.
This is yet another example of government’s disregard for environmental preservation and sustainable development in pursuit of short-term political gain.
But this is not all. We have witnessed a disturbing trend of Chinese-run mining operations being allowed to ravage our rural lands.
These so-called “investors”, who are lauded as “all-weather friends”, have repeatedly shown their flagrant disregard for local laws, even desecrating graves in the process.
Their operations continue unchecked and now we see them diverting river courses depriving communities of vital water resources.
In Manhize, Chivhu and Mazowe, these environmental atrocities are becoming commonplace.
Meanwhile, the politicians, who signed off on these so-called “special economic zones” are nowhere to be seen.
They have already moved on to destabilise new communities in their endless quest for power and profit.
Zimbabwe’s position on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index speaks volumes.
Ranked near the bottom of the global scale, our country is regarded as one of the most corrupt in the world.
This exposes the systemic rot bedevilling our society and government’s complete failure to act in the interest of the people.
The ED2030 agenda, which is nothing less than a thinly veiled power grab, is the latest in a series of disastrous moves that further entrenches corruption and exploitation.
Time has come for us to blow this greedy lot out of the water. Zimbabwe deserves better than the mismanagement, corruption and environmental degradation being perpetrated by this government.
The people of Zimbabwe must unite and speak out before it’s too late.
