While our imaginations have been enthralled by the allegations of state capture levelled against South Africa’s meddling Guptas, Zimbabwe has its own profitable illusion of state capture. I call it an illusion for good reason.
SUNDAY OPINION BY KUDZAI MANYODO
Zanu PF has created an environment in which anyone who claims allegiance to powerful political players can effectively get away with anything.
Our predicament is worse than that of the South Africans because while the Guptas enjoyed great influence and prestige having captured Zuma, the reality is that Zuma actually knew what the Guptas were up to. In our case, it seems unlikely that the Mugabes, Grace and Robert, actually know what crimes are being committed in their name.
Take for instance Agrippa Musiyakurima who runs Bopela Group of Companies. Allegations are that he was working in cahoots with NetOne CEO Reward Kangai to prejudice NetOne through highly irregular arrangements to install base stations.
I am not particularly interested in the specifics of the allegations against him as these can only be verified or discredited by an independent audit. What is worrying is that instead of disproving the allegations against him and challenging auditors to provide evidence, he has chosen to hide behind the First Lady.
The businessman offers an absurd conspiracy theory in his defence; speaking to Zimbabwe Independent, he claimed that he was being victimised by ICT minister Supa Mandiwanzira because he (Supa) believes he (Agrippa) has been funding Grace’s rallies.
He went on to allege that the said minister belongs to the Mnangagwa faction and is raising spurious allegations in order to destroy Bopela and in the process cut off the supposed source of funding for Grace’s rallies. Such wild and clearly desperate claims would ordinarily be laughable, but there is a more serious issue here.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Notice that Masiyakurima cleverly introduces the name of the First Lady into the dispute through reverse psychology. He denies, without having been accused, that he is funding Grace’s rallies. This is a clever sleight of hand on his part, seemingly dismissing claims that he himself has made up, while in effect actually introducing and giving them credence in the public imagination.
He is using Grace’s name because he knows it wields power. He is in effect baring teeth by subliminally suggesting that the money he makes from NetOne actually benefits the First Lady. Now if you are the chairman of NetOne and it is insinuated that the business you are investigating is in effect a proxy for the First Lady, are you going to proceed with that investigation? It seems unlikely.
This is precisely what Masiyakurima is hoping for; Grace’s name is certainly an effective tool of intimidation given her ruthlessly effective purging of Joice Mujuru, nobody wants to suffer a similar fate.
All of us want NetOne to operate in a transparent manner that benefits the nation at large. If Masiyakurima’s activities are above board and he has nothing to hide, why is he trying to shut down the upcoming forensic audit by invoking a powerful name? Something is not right.
What is especially unfortunate is that the people who use these names to great effect are actually not sincere Mugabe supporters. They are simply crafty opportunists that recognise that they can profit from the influence that flows from that name. This is why the likes of Masiyakurima drape their vehicles with Mugabe’s totem and pictures and try to associate themselves with the First Lady.
Another timely example of this powerful illusion of State capture is the under-fire businessman Wicknell Chivayo. Last week it was reported in this paper that the Zesa board was probing the $400 million deals that were signed between ZPC and his company Intratek after press reports revealed that he is an ex-convict, having served time with hard labour for a series of sophisticated frauds.
In response to these reports, the young businessman quickly posted a picture of himself enjoying the company of the First Lady in Dubai.
This was not a coincidence, it was a clear message to all the Zesa board members: back off because I have powerful people behind me; look, I have dinner with Grace Mugabe and I can even take a video of her. If you mess with me, you mess with her.
It is difficult to imagine that Grace, for all her faults, would be a wilful participant in something so juvenile and clumsy. While the woman is brash, she is certainly not stupid; if she wanted to send a message to anyone, she has access to discreet and dignified avenues which she could employ to protect Chivayo.
This was not Grace in action but a cunning young man taking advantage of an acquaintance with power to give the misleading impression that the First Family has endorsed him warts and all and that anyone resisting him is in fact fighting the First Family. One must admit that this is skillful maneuvering on his part.
The same is true of Masiyakurima. The allegations point to collusion between him and Reward Kangai. He knows a forensic audit is coming and that all misdeeds will soon be exposed. His only remaining card is a desperate one — an attempt to intimidate by associating his business with the First Lady.
His claim that he is being targeted in factional politics is pretty ridiculous. While factional politics is a reality in Zanu PF, the truth is that Masiyakurima is certainly not a player. No factionalist cares about him because he has no power, he has no influence and he clearly has no constituency or support base.
Let’s assume that Masiyakurima was indeed funding Grace and his business could no longer continue such funding having been cut off by Team Lacoste, does anyone really believe that the First Lady would be unable to carry on her political activities because she does not have money from little Masiyakurima?
It’s a ludicrous and self-indulgent theory. Masiyakurima seeks to inject himself behind powerful factional players merely as an armour against impending accountability.
This illusion of state capture must stop; it strips the First Family of dignity and, more worryingly, undermines the capacity of various gatekeepers in our economy and law enforcers to carry out their duties freely and effectively.
