19 OCTOBER 2020
POLITICS HAS BECOME A PERMANENT TOOL FOR THE PRIMITIVE ACCUMULATION OF STATE RESOURCES IN ZANUPF, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA ASSERTS.
At a juncture of widespread poverty and extreme economic woes, Zanupf politicians are not ashamed to choose conspicuous extravagance and barefaced corruption manifesting through some greedy ministers who continue to loot with impunity. Mdc Alliance Namibia is cobra-headed to witness stomach politicians of plunder and self-enrichment forging ahead eating on behalf of the masses who continue to gnash their teeth in abject poverty.
The incumbent Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr John Mangwiro, has learned nothing from the corrupt and fired former Minister of Health Dr Obadiah Moyo who was dismissed over his involvement in US$60 million Covid-19 procurement scandal. The incessant tender storms rocking our different parastatals emanate from the selective application of the law against criminals in Zimbabwe. There is outright disconnection between the aspirations of the poor and practical implementation by both elected and appointed leaders in government. We are quite aware that the politicians are being protected by the weaponised law that does not convict the looters of our state resources.
Mdc Alliance Namibia is absolutely infuriated by the behaviour of clueless Zanupf and their greedy ministers who are allowed to rob state institutions when the generality of Zimbabweans are all over the globe hunting for quality livelihoods and they are struggling to keep their heads above poverty. Only a small number of well-connected individuals could walk away with a cool US$60 million and continue to live a normal life out of jail worse without any pay back of the stolen money from the state.
The Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro allegedly railroad the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm), in dramatic events, including visiting the parastatal’s workers at night and bullying them with dismissal, to award a US$5.6 million contract to an undeserving company – Young Health Care. This is contained in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zaac) report which says the Deputy Minister had ‘personal interest’ in the matter.
Moreover,the investigation, conducted from 31st August to September 4 this year , looked into circumstances of how the Ministry of Health and Child Care administered a Covid-19 tender (NAT ITCB FWWK 04/2020) for the purchase of laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables. The pro-Zanupf newspaper, The Sunday Mail, recently reported that senior Government Officials were allegedly caught with hands in the till over the Covid-19 materials procurement.
This is incontrovertible evidence to prove that politics has become a tool for self-enrichment.
The desperate Zanupf government has been afflicted by the inability to practically implement all those good laws and policies for the benefit of all our people especially the youths.
It has become apparent that the rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten more poorer.
Moreso, the suspected violations stem from allegations against the Deputy Minister are that he coaxed NatPharm to give Young Health Care a tender and advance payments before delivery of goods.
This is in direct contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets. It is clear that the corrupt minister used his political power as a springboard for the primitive accumulation of state funds.
Dr Mangwiro, annexed the duties of the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary through issuing innumerable directives to NatPharm. Young Health Care , cropped up and was offered a contract through a directive from then acting Permanent Secretary Dr Gibson Mhlanga , at a time when it was not even registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) as required by law.
The NatPharm acting director , Mr Zealous Nyabadza thwarted the alleged unlawful act by the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care officials resulting in a public tendering process which was deferred to allow Young Health Care to register with Praz.
Mdc Alliance Namibia have also learnt that when NatPharm reiterated on competitive bidding, Young Health Care Limited subsequently submitted a bid price of US$3 600 000 for the same items. This saw a reduction of 36 percent in the price in antithesis with the initial quotation by Young Health Care for supply of commodities under direct procurement , where prices quoted were devilish. It amounted to plethoric US$5 600 000, which was coincidentally the identical amount that was available in the ministry’s coffers, insinuating that the company had innermost information. As citizens in the diaspora, we are interested to know the owner of Young Health Care Company who had accurate financial details of the Ministry’s fiscus.
Furthermore, after twenty (22) companies advanced their interest, Dr John Mangwiro ostensibly side-stepped and wooed NatPharm top managers , at odd hours , to unceremoniously award the tender to Young Health Care before terrorising the vulnerable parastatal’s employees with dismissal if they acted otherwise. He forged demanding that a purchase order be issued that same , dark night. Young Health Care was then illegally awarded a contract to supply goods worth US$124 630 instead of US$922 000 that had been demanded as advance. As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we resonate with Bayart who describes African political power in the post-colonial era and draws specific attention to the relationship between patrimonialism , clientelism, corruption and power.
This nature of corruption blight brings forth linkages between government and institutionalised fraud:smuggling , the plundering of state resources , the growth of ego, privatisation of state institutions (state capture) and the development of ‘economies of plunder’. We absolutely condemn Zanupf politicians for eating on behalf of the starving unsuspecting masses. It invites cynicism and disillusionment when Zanupf politicians continue to shift blame on sanctions, opposition, journalists , the media analysts , local business people, citizens in the diaspora and so on. It has become clear that our poverty and suffering in Zimbabwe and outside is artificially made by Zanupf. The depletion of social trust has a numbing effect on communal survival tactics and strategies.
The uncouth behaviour of Zanupf ministers must be resisted with equal measure. It spews forth a particularly vile concoction of greed, graft and arrogance.
In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia, urges Zaac to be objective in combating corruption in government. This politics of the belly attests to a distinctively African trajectory of power that we need to comprehend as part of a long-term historical development.
Corruption and greed have become Zanupf’s modus operandi. They are now permanent features of their human existence.
Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya
LootersMustGo
FreeTerrence
ZimbabweanLivesMatter
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