The government has been urged to accept that it has lost the war on corruption and that sanctions are now playing second fiddle in the country.
Zimbabwe has been blaming sanctions on almost all of its economic and social failures to the extent that it has lobbied SADC to set aside a day (25 October) against sanctions.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa said corruption has become so cancerous that even government institutions are disregarding regulations at will.
“The issue on corruption, we really are losing the fight. We have lost the fight and it is important for us to admit. When you have lost, it is important to say we are losing and we have lost.
“There is no point in us talking about something which is growing and has become cancerous at the end of the day and has affected our lives. It has affected the people’s lives. Sanctions are no longer a talk of the day but corruption has overtaken sanctions.
“What are we doing to arrest that situation? We have a situation where institutions are no longer complying with any regulation whatsoever,” he said.
Mliswa added that Mnangagwa had the goodwill, when he came into office after the 2017 coup, but failed to make the best out of it. The legislator said the goodwill was so good that even the later former South African President Nelson Mandela never had.
“His Excellency, E. D. Mnangagwa comes from a background of a system which had destroyed this country but at the same time, there was faith and there is still faith. We will make the necessary turn at the right time. What we do not know is when we will make that turn,” he said.
The outspoken legislator said the Second Republic came as a result of the people’s march and must put the country and the people first.
“It is also important to understand that the Second Republic was born out of people’s march where Zimbabweans decided that for once, we want new leadership, we want a new era. In talking about a new era, it was a people’s march which involved everybody, white, black, Indian and all political parties involved.
“Even the late Morgan Tsvangirai, may his soul rest in peace I think spiritually, in his last days, he wanted this country to be united and in his state, he still managed to get out meeting the people in his ailing condition. Like I said, it only shows the love he had for this country and the peace he wanted to ensure this country moves forward with,” said Mliswa.
“What was critical at that time was to put a team Zimbabwe which would be building on the same State of the Nation Address which the President is talking about. Without us being team Zimbabwe, it becomes very difficult for us to be moving forward.”
The legislator said Zimbabweans must give President Mnangagwa an opportunity and he must in turn also give Zimbabweans an opportunity and not monopolise the country.
“There are many incidences which happened which we do not want to bring to the fore but in moving forward we must be able to give His Excellency an opportunity. Not only do we give him an opportunity but he must also give an opportunity to every Zimbabwean to see whether we are able to work together.
“The whole idea of monopolising Zimbabwe, thinking that I can do it, will never work but we can do, it will work. That is what the SONA, the challenges and success which he mentioned are premised on,” he said.-
