HARARE— Acting President Constantino Chiwenga today took a swipe at corrupt, politically connected businessmen, commonly referred to as “mbingas,” during the burial of Justin Mupamhanga at the National Heroes Acre. He likened them to “leeches” and vowed government action to address their activities.
Chiwenga criticized the accumulation of wealth through questionable means, saying, “Our Vision 2030 is for all of us, not for those you call mbinga.”
“We all swore to a future in which everyone had a place on the table, a place in the sun for a culture of equal opportunity where every Zimbabwean served in equal measure,” Chiwenga said to applause.
“Zveubvanzu bvanzu kudya kwemhumhi takazviramba. Our vision 2030 is for all of us, kwete dzamunoti mbinga, kuhondo taidziti zvigananda – those who grow big tummies through ill-gotten wealth and questionable morals.”
He urged Zimbabweans to embrace a culture of equal opportunity, emphasizing the government’s commitment to tackling challenges such as unreliable public transport, unregulated markets, and healthcare shortcomings.
“…Let us remain vigilant and ready to defend our country, its resources and ideals, including its values and sum-culture. We must not be a generation which betrays or fails our revolution and its ideals purchased through such painful sacrifice,” Chiwenga said.
His remarks come amid growing public discontent over economic inequalities and allegations of corruption among the elite.
They also come a day after a faction of Zimbabwe’s war veterans called for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to step down, accusing him of corruption, nepotism, and economic mismanagement.
The war veterans, led by ZANU-PF Central Committee member Blessed Runesu Geza, accused Mnangagwa of neglecting civil servants, filling his cabinet with allies, and allowing corruption to flourish.
Speaking at a press conference in Harare on Sunday, Geza demanded Mnangagwa step down “peacefully or otherwise,” warning that attempts to amend the constitution to extend his rule would “throw the country into disquiet.”
The war veterans’ rhetoric has fueled speculation about divisions within the ruling ZANU-PF party, with some linking their statements to a possible military faction. The group’s criticism of Mnangagwa mirrored Chiwenga’s own language in 2017, shortly before the military ousted Robert Mugabe.
Chiwenga’s comments on corruption of individuals who are using ill-gotten wealth to create parallel structures within the ruling party and government, are likely to add to the tensions surrounding the president, who is on annual leave while his deputy oversees government affairs.
