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Evans Mbambo, the second national vice president for the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), stunned Samuel Mumbengegwi, the Minister of Finance, who was in attendance, that thieves surrounded Mugabe and were using their vantage positions to plunder Zimbabwe for their own benefit.
Mumbengegwi was the guest of honour at the CZI’s national economic lecture series held at the university, a stone throw away from the eastern border city.
“The President is surrounded by thieves,” Mbambo said during a question and answer session. “His Excellency needs a courageous man who can sit down with him so that he can be rescued from the criminals around him.”
“I wouldn’t want to talk about criminals because I am not a criminal,” a visibly angry Mbengegwi said. “As a minister and as an individual my record is clean.”
Unshaken by the minister’s anger, Mbambo attempted to raise more issues with the Mumbengegwi but was restrained by the moderator, Joseph Kanyekanye, the chief executive officer of Forestry Company of Zimbabwe and a top CZI official in Manicaland.
Civic society and the opposition have in the past spoken strongly against rampant corruption and disregard of the rule of law by President Mugabe’s lieutenants.
Many also blame Mugabe for the patronage system that exists in Zimbabwe. As a President he has continuously failed to send to jail his top corrupt cronnies in the government and Zanu (PF) party.
Mumbengegwi had spoken about his ministry’s role in the turn around programme of the country’s economy when he raised Mbambo’s ire.
“Inflation in this country is not based on the cost of production but upon money chasing,” he said. “It has become undesirable to produce. Zimbabweans don’t want to produce goods because they can’t make quick money.” – Zimbabwe journalists
Post published in: News