Chronicle (Zimbabwe)

Corrupt bigwigs face prosecutio­n

- Prince Sunduzani Business Reporter

GOVERNMENT will soon prosecute more than 400 corrupt individual­s within the system, including some who believe they have immunity, a cabinet minister has said.

Addressing students during a guest lecture at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) yesterday, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Developmen­t, Terrence Mukupe, without mentioning names, said there are individual­s within Government who prejudiced the country of funds who should be in prison.

Recently, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said there won’t be sacred cows in the fight against corruption adding that Government will not consider friendship or kinship in its fight against the vice.

“The economy is there to serve the interests of the people, the way the Zimbabwean economy was previously set up, it was meant to serve the interest of individual­s and not that of the people. The President has said there won’t be any sacred cows when it comes to dealing with corruption. There are some people who are walking with us who think they have gotten away with corruption but they haven’t,” said Min Mukupe.

“I know there are people who we are not mentioning as for now, but watch the space and you will see what will happen. I know for a fact that Zacc has been handling cases of corrupt people who should be in court and finally in prison. So it’s not yet over and I think the people of Zimbabwe deserve justice.”

On Thursday Finance and Economic Developmen­t

He said the Magwegwe North pre-sell stands are the sixth in a series of pre-sell projects that council started and completed servicing.

Clr Banda said the others are 97 stands in Emganwini, 303 Mahatshula North, 390 stands in Emhlangeni Phase 1, 700 stands in Pumula South and 169 in Mahatshula.

“I am glad to say that over the years, we have been learning how to better manage the projects to ensure that we do not delay the clients with servicing. With the projects that we are doing in 2018 going forward, we now issue adverts for tender and award before selling the stands,” he said.

Clr Banda said this had ensured that council does not under or over budget the costs of the stands as the price for each individual stand is divided to sum up total costs of servicing.

The city’s housing waiting list stands at over 100 000. The Magwegwe North stands were serviced by Bulawayoba­sed Asphalt Products. — @AuxiliaK Minister, Patrick Chinamasa said all companies and individual­s that externalis­ed funds and assets will have their day in court.

He also indicated that those who feel that there are names that need to be included on the list, are supposed to take the initiative and raise the issue with the authoritie­s in their personal capacity.

On Monday, President Mnangagwa published a list of 1 844 alleged externalis­ers who failed to return an estimated $1 billion after the expiry of a three-month amnesty that ran from December 1 last year.

Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Divisional Officer, Mr Elias Musakwa, was named for externalis­ing $9 million to Portugal on the list which has 157 individual­s and companies.

Companies in the mining, agricultur­e and manufactur­ing sectors mainly constitute­d externalis­ers of funds through non-repatriati­on of export proceeds, with African Associated Mines Mining topping the list for externalis­ing more than $62 million followed by Marange Resources Mining which allegedly illegally exported about $54 million.

A total of $237 452 276 was externalis­ed by 284 institutio­ns in this category.

Most of the culprits fell in the category of institutio­ns that externalis­ed cash for imports but did not deliver their imported products.

A total of 1 403 companies are listed in this group, externalis­ing a total of $124 846 957.

Last Friday, the President revealed that nearly $300 million had been returned while externalis­ers who had invested the funds in foreign countries to the tune of $680 million were negotiatin­g how to bring back the money. — @PrinceNkos­y102

 ??  ?? Clr Gift Banda
Clr Gift Banda

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Zimbabwe