JUST a few weeks ago during a meeting with editors of national newspapers, President Emmerson Mnangagwa challenged anyone who felt that tenderpreneur and socialite Wicknell Chivayo was corrupt to report to the police.
He dismissed claims that Chivayo was his front, saying he did not have access to such large sums of money.
He also refuted allegations that he was funding Chivayo’s questionable charity activities and also denied knowledge of his seemingly bottomless pit of cash.
Responded Mnangagwa: “Where would I get the money to give him? Investigate where you think I’m getting the money to give Chivayo to distribute, rather than wasting my time worrying about someone who is using his own money. You can’t bother me about someone who is philanthropic. If anyone’s money was stolen, then they should report to the police.”
A few days later, social media was awash with pictures of Mnangagwa, Chivayo and his then wife to be Lucy “Lulu” Muteke at what we were meant to believe was State House.
The pictures raised questions about the nature of Chivayo’s relationship with the Head of State.
Chivayo had gone to introduce Lulu to the President just before he went to pay lobola, so we were made to understand.
Chivayo later boasted that he was now a mukwasha (son-in-law) to the President as he had married into the Shumba clan.
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We are not saying it’s wrong to introduce family members to people of power.
But mingling with questionable characters and inviting them to State House is a big no.
A few days earlier, the Head of State had denied being Chivayo’s shield, only for pictures showing the two as bosom buddies to emerge splashed all over the Press and social media.
Chivayo, in the pictures, is clearly enjoying himself.
He was clasping tightly to Mnangagwa’s hand, giving the impression that he felt very much secure around the First Citizen.
All that paints a very bad picture of the President, worse with Chivayo clad in cargo pants.
The State House is a emblem of government business, where visitors should be in formal dressing, particularly suits.
Patronised by questionable characters dressed informally, the State House is fast losing significance.
We may not be wrong to assume he is the President’s proxy.
It is that kind of mixed signals on the part of the leader of the country that is behind the political malaise in the country and the paralysis of the ruling party.
This is why no one believes him when he says he is a constitutionalist, adding that he would respect the Constitution and leave office at the end of his term in 2028.
He has failed to publicly challenge those vociferously calling upon him to bend the law to facilitate his extended stay in office or substantiate his claim that he is “unpushable” on the ED2030 agenda.
His key ministers, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, and Justice are leading the crescendo.
It is impossible to believe that they are doing this without the consent of the master.
