VP Chiwenga Declares ‘no Mercy’ in War On Corruption
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has again delivered a blistering attack on corruption, warning that Zimbabwe’s economy cannot be rebuilt on “tender manipulation” and “unethical dealings,” in a fiery address Thursday to the Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe in Masvingo.
“We can not and will not tolerate tender manipulation or unethical dealings that undermine confidence and compromise anybody,” Chiwenga told the packed congress in Masvingo. “Let this Congress mark a collective pledge that the Zimbabwean construction industry shall be built on the pillars of honesty, hard work, and professionalism.”
The remarks add to a drumbeat of hardline statements this year from the vice president, who has positioned himself as one of the most vocal enforcers against graft. In January, while presiding over the burial of national hero Justin Mupamhanga, he warned that “corruption has to end,” describing those who profit from it as zvigananda — “leeches” who fatten themselves on ill-gotten wealth.
In recent weeks, Chiwenga has taken his fight directly into the ruling party, tabling a dossier before the politburo accusing fuel tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei and three other businessmen — Scott Sakupwanya, Dilesh Nguwaya, and Wicknell Chivhayo — of siphoning billions through patronage networks. Party spokesman Christopher Mutsvangwa dismissed the move as “factional maneuvers,” but the allegations underscored the depth of Chiwenga’s anti-corruption offensive.
“Our Vision 2030 is for all of us, not those that you call mbinga,” Chiwenga declared earlier this year. On Thursday in Masvingo, he sharpened that message once more: “All thriving economies the world over were built through sacrifice, honesty, and hard work.”
For millions of Zimbabweans weary of impunity and economic sabotage, his words have become a rallying cry. And Chiwenga, at every turn, is making clear that the reckoning he promised is still coming. *ZiFM*
