Govt targets unscrupulous dealers…plans lifestyle audits for “mbingas”

DODGY “dealers”, colloquially known as “mbingas”, will soon undergo lifestyle audits to determine the sources of their wealth, a senior government official said this week.

This move aims to intensify combat corruption and illicit flows (IFFS).

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Devolution Tafadzwa Muguti said the audits would target not only these deep-pocketed and flamboyant individuals but also public officials, as Zimbabwe seeks to bolster its tax revenue amid a cash-strapped economy.

Concerns have been mounting over prominent individuals evading taxes while flaunting unexplained fortunes, leaving millions of Zimbabweans questioning the sources of their wealth.

In an interview, Muguti said a Zimbabwean should either have a payslip or a product to prove their source of income.

“In terms of the big elephant in the room called corruption, we are moving into a new stage in Zimbabwe … whether you like it or not, we are going to move to the stage which I call the two Ps — either a pay slip or a product,” he said.

“But definitely, I think we are heading to the time of lifestyle audits. Gone are the times when certain people just wake up to spend money whose source you do not know. Not in this Zimbabwe.”

Muguti took aim at mbingas who flaunt wealth from unverified sources.

“And I am speaking to these mbingas and all these people that have seven cars, houses everywhere, but they have no pay efforts to financial slip, they have no product. A true country with sovereign discipline rides on the two Ps principle,” he said.

“You either work for someone or produce a service or a product. So, if you cannot justify that, it means we have no value. You are not value-adding into the country, because that is just for your flamboyance.

“But if you are actually contributing, you have a pay slip, you are working, it means you pay tax. If you have a product, it means you pay tax. That means there is more money for the government to do other social services.”

Muguti said Zimbabweans should not solely blame the government for poor service delivery when 70% of citizens do not contribute to the fiscus through taxes.

“We cannot, as Zimbabweans, blame the government that we are underpaying doctors, blame the government that the roads are not being fixed, blame the government when 70% of us do not pay a single cent to that same government. So, it becomes difficult,” he pointed out.

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) stated in 2022 that individuals were subject to lifestyle audits and cited its first success under the programme when it recovered US$155 000 from one of its officials.

At the time, the revenue collector hinted that the late flamboyant socialite, Genius Kadungure, had been among those targeted for lifestyle audits before his death.

Zimra commissioner Edward Phiri explained that the audits aim to identify inconsistencies between individuals’ lifestyles and their declared incomes.

Since 2022, however, an increasing number of dodgy and flamboyant individuals — some with political connections — have emerged.

Despite this, none have been held to account. Reports suggest that some have given Zimra a difficult time whenever the agency attempts to scrutinise their wealth.

This was supported by Muguti, who said Zimra should be allowed to carry out its duties.

“I think in any country, it’s not about lifestyle audits. If we have certain statutory bodies, if we have certain constitutional bodies such as Zimra that are mandated to go after citizens to justify their work, let’s not stop them from doing their work,” he said.

“Nobody should ever be able to abuse their office and stop Zimra from doing their work. If it is a government official, then that person is very silly because that is where your salary comes from.

“If it is a citizen, then that person is very silly also because that is where your social services come from. So, my office fully supports what Zimra and the Minister of Finance are trying to do to increase the gap,” Muguti said. Zimbabwe Independent