Grace Kwinjeh |Demands for President Robert Mugabe to fire corrupt Government ministers and officials were heightened this morning, with a petition calling for Energy Minister Samuel Udenge to go, being signed by hundreds of Zimbabweans, under an initiative led by #FlagPastor Evans Mawarire.
“We are stepping the game up, protests and demonstrations will not end until, issues to do with corruption are dealt with,” said the outspoken Mawarire.
The initiative for corrupt officials to go is gaining momentum as pressure mounts on President Mugabe to fire all corrupt ministers, who are callously draining the economy, enriching themselves while ordinary citizens starve. At the time of writing civil servants are threatening massive strikes over government’s failure to pay their salaries on time, and the country could be headed for a grinding halt in the civil service, which will have further serious repercussions on an already bleeding economy.
Just in a day ZimEye.com this morning covered two cases of serious corruption involving ministers, the first involving Udenge and his Glen Lorne mansion he is renovating with funds apparently acquired under spurious circumstances. Controversial minister of Education, Lazarus Dokora is not to be left out as he once again makes news headlines over a multi-million dollar computerisation dodgy deal.
Speaking in shona vernacular live on his facebook page, Mawarire said, Udenge had stolen too much money, “there are too many stories of corruption and that has killed our country.”
“People are signing the petition so that the President can fire him, he is the one who hired him in the first place, we are saying the first place to deal with corruption, is by handling all existing cases ruthlessly,” said Mawarire.
“We are calling on Government, we are calling on our leaders to deal with corruption without fear, until people like minister Udenge are not dealt with we know you are not serious about corruption,” Mawarire challenged those in authority.
“We want you to know that we are serious about building our country, so respond whereever you see us getting these petitions signed, get involved, do not be afraid, it is our right to petition the President, it is our right to petition Parliament,” Mawarire rallied citizens behind his call.