In a shocking display of how deep corruption runs in Zimbabwe’s ruling elite, a multimillion-dollar tender scandal has exploded, implicating top government officials, businessmen, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission itself. At the center of the storm is George Charamba, the taxpayer-funded spokesman for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has emerged as the most vocal defender of the indefensible. Instead of addressing the corruption, Charamba has taken to X formerly Twitter to lash out at journalists and media platforms, especially The NewsHawks, for exposing this disturbing web of theft and collusion.
This is no ordinary scandal. It stretches right into the core of government. High-ranking figures such as Chief Secretary to Cabinet Martin Rushwaya and Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General Isaac Moyo have been named. So too has ZEC Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba. The involvement of the Office of the President and Cabinet itself shows just how systemic the rot has become. Business tycoons like Wicknell Chivayo, Moses Mpofu, Pedzisayi Scott Sakupwanya, and their South African counterparts Thomas Michel du Sart and Angus Carlaw are all embroiled in this shameful affair. These are not just isolated individuals. They are the faces of a corrupt alliance that blends political power and business interests to plunder public resources with impunity.
The scandal centers on fraudulent tenders issued by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. These tenders were supposedly part of preparing for electoral events but have instead been exposed as vehicles for looting millions. These revelations raise urgent questions about the credibility of any future elections in Zimbabwe. If the body tasked with ensuring fair and free elections is itself compromised and controlled by corrupt networks, then the future of democracy in this country is bleak.
What makes Charamba’s role particularly troubling is not just his defense of the accused but his blatant abuse of public office. As a civil servant, he is supposed to serve all Zimbabweans, not act as a political attack dog for a corrupt administration. His online tirades against journalists are not only unprofessional but dangerously authoritarian. Instead of addressing the facts, he resorts to insults, mockery, and diversion. His venom toward The NewsHawks and others shows how threatened the regime is by truth and accountability.
Yet, it is thanks to The NewsHawks and other independent journalists that the public even knows about this scandal. In a country where press freedom is under constant assault and journalists risk their lives to tell the truth, this kind of investigative journalism is heroic. It is also essential. Without it, corruption would flourish in silence, hidden behind the carefully constructed lies of government spin doctors.
As more details come to light, it becomes increasingly clear that this is not a simple case of a few bad apples. It is a coordinated network, involving top officials and powerful business interests, seeking to rig not just tenders but entire democratic processes. The involvement of South African businessmen shows how these networks transcend borders, and how Zimbabwe’s sovereignty is being auctioned off to the highest bidder.
There are growing calls from civil society and the international community for investigations and prosecutions. But anyone familiar with Zimbabwe’s political landscape knows how unlikely that is when those accused control the very levers of justice and law enforcement. It is the people of Zimbabwe who continue to pay the price.
This scandal should not be allowed to fade into silence. It is a defining moment that exposes the moral bankruptcy of those in power. As the country edges toward future elections, the question that must be asked is simple. Can Zimbabwe trust a compromised electoral commission run by corrupt elites to deliver democracy? Or is it time for a total overhaul of the system before the very idea of free and fair elections becomes a distant memory?
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