By Cde Honest Vhura Hombe
Home affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe has said the government’s attempts to eliminate crime and corruption in a nation estimated to US$1.8 billion annual loss due to illicit financial flows was “unattainable.”
Speaking in Parliament last week Kazembe made this admission laced with honesty wrapped in spectacular defeatism.
“We cannot stop someone’s thoughts. We have 15 or 16 million people in this country. As we are seated here, we do not know what people are thinking,” said Kazembe, accidentally stumbling upon a philosophical breakthrough.
“Maybe someone is committing a crime as we are talking. Someone might be raping, beating up someone and committing different crimes,” he added, sparkinh concern that he might be referring to ZANU PF’s conduct .
Kazembe went on to blame citizens for attracting thieves by “boasting about money” and “keeping large sums at home,” probably taking subtle shots at tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo.
“We have different programmes that we are running where we are educating people,” he said.
“To boast about having money because by doing so, you will be attracting thieves.
“This is one of the measures that we are taking, added Kazembe.
After all, richness is reserved to ZANU PF elites and Zviganandas that have secured lucrative government contracts.
Meanwhile, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, head of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) recently warned that corruption was bleeding the country.
Some Critics were, however, quick to point out that Vision 2030—a bold dream to make Zimbabwe an upper-middle-income country in five years—is being sabotaged by the very architects of that vision, many of whom seem to think “middle income” refers to their Dubai stopover allowance.
While the government publicly laments the theft of public funds, no one seems to know where the money actually goes.
Opposition leaders and watchdogs have long accused top officials of participating in the very corruption they claim to be fighting—often through press statements.
In a country where schools collapse, hospitals run on candlelight, and a road trip doubles as an obstacle course, the Zimbabwean government’s stance is clear: fighting corruption is just too much work.
Looking on the bright side, at least our beloved ZANU PF government has mastered transparency.
After all, it takes a special kind of honesty to admit you’re not going to do your job — and then ask the people you’re failing to help make your job easier.
