How Zimbabwe nurtured a culture of looters masquerading as businessmen

Zimbabwe, a nation blessed with abundant natural resources and a rich history of resilience, now finds itself grappling with a disturbing breed of individuals commonly referred to as “Zvigananda.”

These are people who shun honest hard work and entrepreneurship, opting instead for shortcuts, shady deals, and outright criminality.

Their behavior demands serious reflection: why has such a toxic culture taken root and flourished, especially among those connected to the ruling elite?

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This phenomenon becomes even more perplexing when we contrast it with the many Zimbabweans who have earned international acclaim through grit, ingenuity, and unwavering perseverance.

Take Strive Masiyiwa, for example — a symbol of true business acumen and resilience.

Born in Zimbabwe in 1961, Masiyiwa faced unimaginable obstacles establishing Econet Wireless.

In the 1990s, he waged a five-year legal battle against Robert Mugabe’s government, which was determined to maintain a monopoly over the telecommunications sector.

Masiyiwa’s victory against overwhelming odds led to the creation of a pan-African telecoms giant operating in over 15 countries.

Today, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, he stands proudly on the 2025 Forbes Billionaires List — a living testament that immense wealth can indeed be built through noble, honest, and ethical means.

His achievements destroy the false narrative that corruption and criminality are prerequisites for prosperity.

Masiyiwa’s journey proves that true wealth is born of vision, perseverance, and principled leadership.

Today, he is not only a billionaire but also a revered philanthropist, having channeled his wealth toward education and healthcare initiatives across Africa.

His is a story of grit, integrity, and doing business the right way.

Similarly, Valerie Moran has defied staggering odds to become a fixture on Britain’s Sunday Times Rich List.

With her husband Noel Moran, she has built a £122 million fortune through Prepaid Financial Services (PFS), a successful fintech company.

Born in Zimbabwe, Moran embodies discipline, professionalism, and ethical business practices — showing that excellence and virtue can still lead to great financial success.

Another luminary is Nigel Chanakira, who exemplifies what ethical business leadership can achieve.

Born in 1966 in Harare’s Highfield suburb, Chanakira pursued his passion for economics, co-founding Kingdom Bank in 1994.

Despite Zimbabwe’s volatile environment, he maintained a fierce commitment to integrity, innovation, and empowering others.

Recognized as Businessman of the Year by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce in 2002, and later as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2006, Chanakira’s story is a beacon of hope — proving that lasting success is achievable through resilience and moral leadership.

Given such shining examples, why then does the Zvigananda culture continue to rise and entrench itself in Zimbabwe?

Individuals like Wicknell Chivayo perfectly epitomize this disturbing phenomenon.

Chivayo has been implicated in scandal after scandal — from a $5 million solar project fraud involving the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), where no meaningful work was delivered, to a far more audacious heist.

Recent revelations by South Africa’s Revenue Service and Financial Intelligence Centre show that R1.1 billion was transferred from Zimbabwe’s Treasury to South Africa’s Ren-Form CC — ostensibly for procuring electoral materials.

Shockingly, R800 million found its way into various accounts owned by Chivayo, raising alarming questions about the blatant siphoning of public funds.

The damage caused by such individuals is catastrophic.

Zimbabwe loses billions annually to corruption and illicit financial flows — all while over 80% of its population wallows in poverty.

Hospitals lack basic medication, cancer treatment and dialysis machines are rare, ambulances are a luxury, and the country’s infrastructure continues to crumble.

And yet, those responsible shamelessly flaunt their ill-gotten wealth in the faces of those whose lives they have helped destroy.

How can people exhibit such heartlessness and utter disregard for the suffering of millions?

This stems from a deeply entrenched culture of greed, entitlement, and impunity — a culture thriving in an environment where accountability is absent and political connections are the ultimate currency.

Those aligned with the ruling elite are insulated from the consequences of their actions.

They view the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans as mere collateral damage in their pursuit of wealth and status.

Where strong institutions and transparent governance are absent, corruption is emboldened.

Empathy and morality are replaced with ruthless self-preservation and betrayal.

Moreover, the Zvigananda are not entrepreneurs in any meaningful sense of the word.

They possess no genuine business acumen, no innovation, no risk-taking spirit.

Their wealth stems purely from political proximity and illicit activities.

Without political connections, they would be nothing.

This dependency explains why many of them are among the fiercest advocates for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s unconstitutional pursuit for a term extension.

Their fortunes — and futures — are tied to the survival of the current regime.

It is even more disturbing that individuals like Chivayo are now seen in the President’s company — attending high-profile state functions and meetings with foreign leaders, despite holding no official government position.

What exactly is Chivayo’s role?

Under what mandate does he attend these critical engagements?

What business, if any, does he represent on Zimbabwe’s behalf?

It is scandalous that a man so tainted by corruption allegations is afforded such proximity to the highest office — further blurring the already dangerously thin line between state power and criminal enterprise.

His presence not only tarnishes Zimbabwe’s image internationally but signals the unsettling normalization of corruption at the heart of power.

For the Zvigananda, the fear of political change fuels their desperation.

They loot today as if there is no tomorrow — because, in truth, there isn’t, once their political protectors fall.

Their greed knows no bounds.

How else can one explain a man implicated in scandal after scandal, each more audacious than the last?

If they possessed true entrepreneurial skills, they would not need to loot repeatedly.

With even a modest $10,000 in seed capital, a genuine businessperson would grow a sustainable enterprise.

But the Zvigananda lack the vision, patience, and competence to create real wealth.

Even worse, they are celebrated as role models.

They are paraded at public events, feted by the media, and showered with awards.

They donate luxury vehicles and large sums of cash to politicians and celebrities in exchange for social acceptance and public adulation.

Those who shamelessly accept these “gifts” must be challenged to identify a legitimate company Chivayo owns, provide its physical address, show its verifiable business activities, and demonstrate its employment creation or export generation.

They cannot, because Chivayo’s so-called wealth is not the product of entrepreneurship but the spoils of political connection.

The danger cannot be overstated.

This toxic culture sends a devastating message to Zimbabwe’s youth: crime pays, integrity is foolish, and power matters more than hard work.

It wounds the very soul of the nation, breeding a future generation more obsessed with quick riches than with genuine achievement.

Is this the Zimbabwe we want?

A country where corruption is king, mediocrity is rewarded, and political connections trump education, creativity, and perseverance?

Zimbabwe must urgently confront and dismantle this toxic culture.

We must celebrate and emulate genuine success stories — the Strive Masiyiwas, Valerie Morans, and Nigel Chanakiras of this world — not the Zvigananda who have turned our beloved country into a playground for thieves.

Until then, the dream of a prosperous Zimbabwe will remain just that — a dream.

• Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/