HARARE – Zanu PF activist, Sybeth Musengezi who became known through his bold challenge against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy as party leader, resurfaced weekend to haunt his nemesis, this time for allegedly presiding over “grand looting” and dumping the ideals of the country’s liberation struggle.
In a February 10 open letter to Zanu PF, the activist accused the current government of gross human rights violations and judicial capture.
“43 years after independence, we are experiencing among other misdeeds, a disregard of the constitution; grand looting and corruption; oppressive laws; gross human rights abuses; abuse of the judiciary against dissenting voices.
“Civil servants being harassed for demanding decent wages, a very high rate of unemployment, vendors being treated like wild animals, people’s houses being demolished unnecessarily after politically connected individuals corruptly parcel out land to desperate and poor home-seekers.
“There isn’t much to celebrate for Independence because the current system mainly favors the first family, the executive, their friends and a few connected and corrupt individuals who loot national resources with impunity while the rest of the citizens live in abject poverty,” Musengezi said.
Mnangagwa muscled his way into the country’s most powerful job through a 2017 military coup with a promise to restore Zimbabwe onto its democratic path, ending massive joblessness and corruption.
However, his promises have morphed into ruthless crackdown on dissent, gross state corruption, and economic hardships.
Musengezi lamented how Zanu PF elites were being rewarded for loyalty to Mnangagwa through multi-million-dollar business contracts while also enjoying impunity.
He also accused the Zimbabwean leader of allegedly presiding over the capture of Zimbabwean courts and the persecution of opponents.
“Our courts have continued to be arenas for persecuting dissenting voices,” he said.
“We never expected to witness the ongoing inhumane treatment of opposition members, like the continued incarceration of CCC lawmaker honorable Job Sikhala and the daily victimization of opposition members using the police and the judiciary system.
“We have politically exposed persons like Wicknell Chivhayo whose company clearly abused procurement laws in a critical power project but gets favourable judgements at our captured courts supposedly because on its board sits Cde. Mnangagwa’s close associates.
“We have criminals like Henrietta Rushwaya. Prisca Mupfumira, Mayor Wadyajena to mention just a few walking scot-free and bragging about how untouchable they are as the law protects them instead of punishing them.”
Musengezi added: “Multi-million United States dollar, clearly controversial contracts are awarded to politically exposed persons like Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Obey Chimuka, Delish Nguwaya to mention just a few under the guise of critical projects.
“We have the clearly over-priced Mbudzi Interchange project that is being used to siphon public funds under everyone’s watch, the Draxgate. Pomona Dumpsite deals etc.
“Mines are falling into the hands of a cartel and gold buying which used to be solely the preserve of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is now in the hands of the same cartel. The question is, why the same people. Are they very good investors.”
The outspoken activist also warned the mushrooming of parallel structures loyal to Mnangagwa under the “4EDs” mantra were creating a one-centre power culture that was dividing the ruling party with the likelihood of creating a “Bhora Musango” (sabotage) in elections due later this year.
