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Zimbabwe: General's Corruption Warning Invites Scorn
[All Africa] Top Zim-bob-we National Army (ZNA) commander Major General Douglas Nyikayaramba's call to the government to deal decisively with corruption, especially by bigwigs, has been met with scorn amid charges that the securocrats have no moral authority to pontificate about graft.Nyikayaramba, the ZNA's chief of staff (administration), told Parliament last week that corruption had become a threat to national security. The military -- known for its uncompromising support for President Bob MuggsyMugabe Octogenarian President-for-Life of Zim-bob-we who turned the former Breadbasket of Africa into the African Basket Case... and Zanu PF -- has been fingered in illicit deals including diamond smuggling stretching back to the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material... Nyikayaramba demanded the arrest of those implicated in corruption cases in a pointed attack on Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo. Moyo and his deputy Godfrey Gandawa are being investigated by the Zim-bob-we Anti-Corruption Commission over the alleged abuse of over $400 000 drawn from the Zim-bob-we Manpower Development Fund. Analysts said while Nyikayaramba's calls were welcome, the army general and other securocrats "must look at themselves in the mirror". University of Zim-bob-we political scientist Eldred Masunungure said indications were that even Mugabe did not have a clue on what the army was doing at the Marange diamond fields. "In terms of reports that are circulating, the activities of the military in the Marange diamond fields up to the point of dissolution of the companies were not above board," he said. "There is evidence that the military was heavily involved in the extraction of resources legally and probably illegally. "The army was central to two or three companies and there are allegations of corruption and looting. "It goes without saying that the military was involved. "Mugabe's supposition that at least $15 billion was spirited out of the country also implicates the military. "The tragedy is that we have very little information and the fact that even the president is in the dark, makes it even more worrisome," However, you can observe a lot just by watching... Masunungure said Nyikayaramba was correct in saying that corruption could distabilise the government. "Nyikayaramba is right on the mark when it comes to his diagnosis of the people's anger," he said. "Zim-bob-weans are angry and the anger stems from a hungry people. "As they say, a hungry man is an angry man; there is a likelihood of an uncontrolled kaboom of public discontent that Nyikayaramba has obviously foreseen and hence his warning. Posted by: Fred 2016-11-01 |
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