The PhD thesis of Jabusile Madyazvimbishi Shumba recently published at the University of the Witwatersrand is sensational. Dr. Shumba researched predatory government practices in Zimbabwe, naming names. He showed that the state has been captured by the ruling party, the military and business people close to politicians, while at the same time deeply embedded in business through other means.
His conclusions are:
- The Party and Military dominance are present within the state
- State business is shaped by dominance and capture
- State-society relations are marked through violence and patronage.
This thesis was confirmed in February by an explosive report “A Study in Cartel Dynamics” published by the Daily Maverick. It proved Zimbabwe’s economy was controlled by cartels of politicians, military and business people close to politicians. It was estimated that up to $3 billion were transferred out of the country annually in addition to smuggling of gold and other minerals. It is thought that the country’s GDP of $21.4 bBillion is stolen as a result.
This was detailed as follows:
- Illegal transfers between $570-million and $3-billion a year;
- Intra-country fraud connected with the cartels could cost up to $1billion every year:
- A 2020 International Crisis Group states up to $1.5 billion worth of gold per year is smuggled out of the country;
- Billions of dollars in diamonds are unaccounted for.
In 2018 the auditor-general noted 82% of government expenditure had financial irregularity in one form or another.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is named as the boss of one of the cartels.
This network of syndicates is in charge of the Marange diamond region in the east of Zimbabwe as well as of state business concerning oil, energy, road construction, agriculture, health as well as gold and other minerals.
Hardly surprising: a 2002 UN report on the exploitation of the Congo, named a Congolese-Zimbabwe network of politicians and military among those involved in this theft. Emmerson Mnangagwa was identified as the key figure on the Zimbabwe side. Among the military were officers who became members of Mnangagwa’s first cabinet in 2017.
Zimbabwe is not independent but in the hands of an elite group. Only the Anti-Corruption Commission and the office of the Auditor General as well as several courageous NGOs are trying to fight against this. As the Daily Maverick said, these need to be supported from outside.
