HARARE – Zanu PF’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Christopher Mutsvangwa, came under fire yesterday after dismissing long-standing corruption allegations against controversial businessman Kuda Tagwirei, a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Speaking at a press conference in Harare, Mutsvangwa brushed aside the accusations, challenging critics to “go to the police” if they have evidence. “I don’t know where these allegations of corruption against Kuda Tagwirei are coming from, but if you have evidence please go to the police and report,” he said, insisting that Tagwirei and other gold industry players such as Scott Sakupwanya are “young visionaries” driving the economy.
But opposition leaders and governance watchdogs say Mutsvangwa’s comments underscore the culture of impunity that has allowed politically connected elites to amass vast wealth while ordinary Zimbabweans endure crippling poverty and a collapsing currency.
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the remarks were “insulting to citizens who have watched public resources looted in broad daylight.” He added: “The entire world has documented how politically connected cartels are draining the nation. Instead of shielding his friends, Mutsvangwa should be calling for a full, independent investigation and prosecution.”
Civil society groups echoed these sentiments. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Coalition noted that formal reports often stall when the accused enjoy ruling-party protection. “Telling citizens to report to the same system that protects the powerful is disingenuous,” the organisation said in a statement.
Tagwirei, a billionaire fuel and gold magnate, has been repeatedly named in international reports on corruption and sanctions lists, including by the U.S. Treasury for allegedly using his political connections to gain unfair access to lucrative government contracts. Despite this, he remains an influential financier of Zanu PF and a key player in the state-controlled gold sector.
Analysts say Mutsvangwa’s spirited defence highlights the deep entanglement of Zimbabwe’s political and business elite, a dynamic the opposition argues is at the heart of the country’s economic crisis.
As Zimbabwe grapples with soaring inflation and a health system in crisis, critics insist that shielding politically connected figures like Tagwirei only deepens public mistrust. “It’s not about making random allegations,” Mkwananzi said. “It’s about confronting the evidence that already exists and holding those in power to account.”
The latest controversy reinforces calls from the opposition and civic organisations for a robust, independent anti-corruption body with the authority to investigate and prosecute without fear or political interference—something many believe the Mnangagwa administration has little appetite to establish.
