UNITED STATES President Joe Biden’s administration is most likely to renew sanctions against senior Zanu PF and government officials as well as service chiefs after the release early this week of a damning report exposing “State capture” and grand corruption in the country, by South African publication, Maverick Citizen.
The publication named President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the
kingpin of looting cartels while also indicting his close political and
business associates.
Maverick Citizen, a supplement of the Daily Maverick
newspaper in its 64 page report titled: Cartel Power and Dynamics in Zimbabwe,
said the country may be losing up to US$5 billion annually due to operations of
the cartels that now run its politics and economy.
The report singled out Mnangagwa as the principal cartel
chief whose tentacles, it said, were spread across a wide range of sectors.
The report, which has since gained enormous international
attention, on Thursday caught the eye
of influential US Senator Jim Risch who
said they were taking the corruption reports seriously, especially given that
it came at a time the country reviews its sanctions regime.
The US traditionally renews its sanctions on Zimbabwe every
first quarter of the year since 2002.
Risch, a Republican Senator who chairs the US Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted on Thursday that the report came at the
most appropriate time given that the committee was starting to make
considerations regarding the renewal of sanctions.
“State capture and corruption in #Zimbabwe continue to be a
concern of mine. A timely report released by @dailymaverick exposes the
destructive effects that elite cartels play in robbing the country’s future.
Our partners, the Zimbabwean people, deserve better. #DemLoot,” he tweeted.
Lord Peter Hain, former British Labour MP and government
minister also retweeted the report, saying: “Zimbabwe: Explosive cartel report
uncovers the anatomy…@dailymaverick.”
Former South African opposition Democratic Alliance leader
Mmusi Maimane also tweeted: “This exposĂ© by the @dailymavereick is very
important for every African to read.”
MDC Alliance treasurer, David Coltart joined in the debate
saying: “If you are puzzled why such a wealthy country, with such intelligent,
well educated people can be so poor, then read this report published today in
@dailymaverick. It explains how and why a network of cartels is plundering
#Zimbabawe.”
The report argues that the 2017 military coup that removed
the late former President Robert Mugabe was perpetuating the system albeit
after changing a few individual beneficiaries.
The Zanu PF government has responded to the deepening and
largely self-made socio-economic crisis in the country by clamping down on
dissent, the report said. Newsday
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