By Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
*_A View From the Ground_*
As a grassroots activist and political leader who has experienced firsthand the brutal realities of economic hardship and political repression, I can not remain silent while our country is systematically looted by those entrusted with it’s care. The recent revelations by Hon. Energy Mutodi and his subsequent forced apology expose the rotten core of our governance system. This is not just about one official or one ministry; it is about a fundamental betrayal of the Zimbabwean people and the liberation ideals that so many fought and died for.
When I look at the plight of workers today for example the civil registry staff who participated in election duties but remain unpaid their US$3.7 million, the nurses who struggle to feed their families on worthless salaries, the factory workers whose plants have closed because government won’t pay for supplies, I see the ghosts of our past staring back at us, wondering if their sacrifice was in vain. The promise of liberation has been replaced by the reality of looting on an industrial scale, and we must speak this truth without apology.
The systematic betrayal of Zimbabwe’s workers glares on us everyday. The unpaid civil servants allowances and unpaid contractors represent more than just financial statistics. They represent the collapse of the social contract in Zimbabwe. When the government can spend millions on luxury vehicles for officials while nurses and teachers go months with paltry salaries that hardly sustain livelihoods, we have entered a moral crisis of unprecedented proportions.
I have spoken with small business owners who supplied government with goods and services during the election period, who now face imminent bankruptcy because payments have been deliberately withheld. Many are being told directly or indirectly that they must pay kickbacks of 5-10% to access their own rightful payments from Treasury. This is not governance. It is organized crime masquerading as public administration.
What makes this particularly galling is that while local businesses starve, well-connected “zvigananda” companies with political links get paid promptly and given preferential treatment. This economic apartheid deliberately disadvantages indigenous Zimbabweans in favour of a connected oligarchy that serves the interests of the powerful.
*The Whistleblower and The System*
The Mutodi case reveals a predictable pattern in Zimbabwean politics: when corruption is exposed, the system mobilizes not to address the corruption but to silence the exposer. Mutodi’s detailed allegations about George Guvamatanga’s kickback schemes, illegal wealth accumulation, and manipulation of Treasury processes were met with the usual response: intimidate, threaten, and force a retraction.
This pattern repeats throughout our institutions:
· Parliament is defunded when it refuses to play ball with corrupt schemes
· Journalists are harassed and arrested for exposing corruption
· Whistleblowers are isolated, threatened, or forced to apologize
The message is clear: corruption is protected while integrity is punished. This inverted morality has created a nation that I observe as a crime scene. In short Zimbabwe is just a crime scene.
*Our Liberation Legacy Betrayed*
As someone who comes from a family that participated in the liberation struggle, I feel this betrayal in my bones. The heroes of our liberation did not fight to replace white oligarchs with black ones. They did not sacrifice so that a connected few could live in obscene luxury while workers struggle to afford basic food and medicine.
The current leadership has weaponized poverty to maintain control while systematically dismantling every institution that could provide oversight. They have created an economy where making an honest living is nearly impossible, where the passport has become the “most expensive and weakest” yet most sought-after possession for those seeking escape.
When I see the mass exodus of our young people, 35,938 Zimbabweans granted UK work visas in just one month, I don’t blame them for leaving. I blame the system that forces them to choose between their dignity and their survival. The brain drain we’re witnessing is not accidental; it is the direct result of policies designed to push out the educated and critical-minded who might challenge the status quo.
*A People’s Manifesto for Change*
We need more than just rhetorical outrage. We need concrete actions that restore power to the people:
*1. Citizens’ Audit of Public Finances*
We demand the establishment of a truly independent commission comprising representatives from labour unions, business associations, churches, and civil society to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of all treasury transactions since 2018. This commission must have international technical support and unrestricted access to all government financial records.
*2. Protection and Support for Whistleblowers*
We must create safe channels for government officials and citizens to expose corruption without fear of reprisal. This includes establishing an independent anti-corruption protection agency with powers to relocate and provide new identities for whistleblowers when necessary.
*3. Payment Justice for All Unpaid Workers and Contractors*
We demand the immediate payment of all outstanding salaries/allowances and contractor invoices, starting with the most vulnerable workers and smallest businesses. The discriminatory payment system that favours connected companies must be dismantled immediately.
*4. Transparent Public Procurement*
All government tenders and payments must be published in real-time on a publicly accessible platform. The current opaque system that enables kickbacks and preferential treatment must be replaced with digital transparent processes.
*5. Constitutional Reform for True Accountability*
We need constitutional amendments that create genuine independence for accountability institutions like the Auditor General, National Prosecuting Authority, and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. These bodies must be accountable to Parliament, not the Executive.
*The Time for Action is Now*
Fellow Zimbabweans, we have reached a critical juncture in our history. We can either continue as a nation of silent sufferers watching our country be looted into oblivion, or we can rise up collectively to demand accountability and justice.
I am not calling for violence or destruction. I am calling for peaceful, persistent, powerful citizen action in our communities, in our workplaces, in our churches, and in our streets. We must:
· Document and expose corruption at every level
· Support whistleblowers and protect them from retaliation
· Mobilize legal challenges against corrupt practices
· Organize peaceful protests demanding accountability
· Create solidarity networks to support victims of economic injustice
The power of the people is greater than the people in power. We outnumber them, we outwork them, and ultimately, we will outlast them. Our liberation heroes did not sacrifice for this day to surrender to corruption. They fought for a Zimbabwe that would belong to all who live in it, not just a connected few.
Let us honour their legacy by continuing their struggle. This time not against colonial oppressors, but against the homegrown kleptocrats who have betrayed the revolution from within. The road ahead is difficult, but together, we can reclaim our country and restore the dignity of every Zimbabwean.
The time for silence is over. The time for action is now.
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira is a Zimbabwean politician, labour activist, and leader of the Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD). She has been a prominent voice for social justice and workers’ rights in Zimbabwe.
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