Recently, a daily paper published a story on the scandalous businessman Wicknell Chivayo, citing that the investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on him had hit a stumbling block.
What a coincidence, how can three key sources on the case be out of the country? Could they have also been given chunks of money to leave the country?
Chivayo and company allegedly got a US$40 million windfall from a murky Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) tender to supply material for the 2023 general elections.
It also emerged that the figure was highly inflated with Zec being charged over US$1 million for an HP server, which costs just over US$4 000.
Chivayo has, however, miffed his business partners who accuse him of cheating.
The 100-megawatt Gwanda solar project, awarded to Chivayo, was abandoned and became a white elephant after he pocketed US$5 million.This left residents angry.
After this enormous corrupt ordeal, how does Chivayo get awarded such a huge chunk of a tender? He failed to pull up the solar project. What assurance do we have that he is going to deliver this time around?
Interestingly, ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba was allegedly involved in a meeting with Chivayo and representatives from Better Brands Security and REN-Form, a South African company, prior to their agreement to supply electoral materials to the commission at significantly inflated prices, reaching up to 235%.
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The irony is that in the leaked audio, Chivayo is heard saying Chigumba was also going to benefit from the loot, meaning this ordeal had people who were going to eat.
Chigumba’s role was revealed in a letter of complaint dated April 24, 2024 to Ren-Form official Angus Carlaw, which was co-signed by Chivayo’s partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu.
Chimombe and Mpofu complained bitterly that REN-Form officials connived with Chivayo to disregard a contract between the two parties by entering into an unlawful deal with a convicted criminal, whom they paid inflated fees.
However, the apparent involvement of Chigumba warrants far greater scrutiny than it has received to date. Upon reviewing the documentation, I was shocked to discover her presence at a pivotal meeting.
Despite her significant role, Justice Chigumba has been barely mentioned in reporting and discussions surrounding this issue.
Chigumba’s role is suspicious, given that the meeting took place before the bid was made. Are we being played or this is how many governments operate? Awarding tenders to corrupt personnel?
We need new leaders!!
This glaring omission calls into question the commitment of the Law Society, the Judicial Service Commission, and ZACC, each of which bears a responsibility to uphold transparency and accountability.
Just yesterday, the chairperson of the anti-corruption commission named three individuals suspected of involvement, conspicuously omitting Justice Chigumba. Her position as a judicial officer, entrusted with upholding the highest moral and ethical standards, necessitates a thorough investigation.
The failure by ZACC to prioritise her investigation raises concerns about the credibility of the inquiry itself.
ZANU-PF sycophant this one, who works according to ED.
A competent chairperson of an independent constitutional body does not need to reiterate the President’s position.
Your power comes from the constitution, why are you quoting a politician? Can you not do your constitutional duties without kissing the President’s arse?
He was deployed at ZACC to pretend to be fighting corruption. Zimbabwe has no history of prosecuting high level corruption, none.
It wouldn’t start now. In fact, corruption is incentivised in Zimbabwe.
The only time Zimbabwe will deal with corruption is under a different government from this one.
Until then, don’t hold your breath.
Thinking you can prosecute the same person always seen accompanying the president at official government business even though he holds no official government post. Disgraceful and disgusting.
There will be no sacred cows, he claims. We wait to see what the coming will be; regardless, we already know that the cows are already sacred.
Milk us until we drop, Amai
When we thought we had seen it all, our government is practising what we call in shona pinda ndipindewo, as recently it was reported in the news that our very own First Lady was cashing in on proceeds of the national dress, which is being masqueraded in all Zanu PF functions.
They are always forming funny schemes to loot funds from the public. What's so important about this regalia? Does it solve our economic problems?
Why are they taking advantage of our fellow poor citizens? They have no shame. One of our sister papers, the NewsDay, revealed that an average cloth sells for US$1,50 per metre in shops, according to a snap survey conducted during investigations. The fabric is also being sold at the Zanu PF headquarters and Zimbabwe House.
To my surprise, why is this national dress averaging to US$4 per metre? What's so special about it anyways?
Furthermore, to make things worse, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, issued a statement on Wednesday bootlicking the First Lady.
In the statement she says “We take exception to false and malicious claims by some media outlets that the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is cashing in on the national fabric.
Such claims are not only unfortunate, but appear calculated to soil the good image of our hard-working mother of the nation who is our patron.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry is forever grateful to Dr Mnangagwa for initiating the launch of the national fabric which promotes our Zimbabwean identity.”
Let's take pride in our own national identity! Nyika inovakwa, nekubirwa nevene vayo! The audacity to even type all that? And further chanting the Zanu Pf motto, hypocrisy at its best here. We are going nowhere as a country!
Police strikes again
In a sudden turn of events, a country that is believed to have had a decline in human rights violation, has again struck.
Police unleashed an orgy of violence that left more than 20 people seriously injured as they swooped on opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party activists gathered at their leader Jameson Timba’s house in Harare on Sunday afternoon.
The police accused the CCC activists of holding an illegal meeting.
In a video that circulated on social media, an elderly woman is seen crying after she had been beaten by police officers for going to court to show solidarity for her grandchildren who were amongst the arrested CCC activists, sadly. She is heard saying, amai wee, vadi kundiwudza kuti apabvumirwe kupinda andaimbopinda dai ndisina kupinda, ndarowa pa mhata ne button stick ndarwadziwa amaiwe she cries.
A country that is meant to be supporting the elderly and treating them with respect is seen abusing them; surely this country is in shambles.
According to CCC sources, at least 79 activists were celebrating the Day of the African Child at Timba’s private residence in Avondale.
The victims were separately put in cells at different police stations, with 58 young activists placed at Harare Central Police Station, while more than 20 were detained at Avondale Police Station.
Leave work to the energetic
Our very own Vice President Kembo Mohadi, who is still holding on to his position, but at the same time struggling to do his duties, claims he is not sick but of old age.
Mohadi's health came under the spotlight in October last year after he allegedly collapsed during the Gutu West parliamentary by-election launch, leading to the vice presidential personnel to force journalists to delete the videos.
He was campaigning for the Zanu-PF youth leader John Paradza. The Russian-trained guerrilla was also reported to have collapsed at the University of Zimbabwe, while delivering an Africa Day public lecture.
He struggled to stand finished the remainder of the lecture while seated.
Why are these old grandfathers still holding on to power whilst they are supposed to resign and rest, and leave the work to the youngsters? Is this their way of showing us that vakachibata kuti dzvi just like how Chivayo said recently regarding these tenders?
Is this their way of showing us that they will remain in power kusvika jesu adzoka?
We are surely in trouble!
