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VP Emmerson Mnangagwa

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
ACTING President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the government is determined to deal with corruption in both the public and private sector.
Cde Mnangagwa made the remarks in Masvingo yesterday after commissioning a $4,8 million water and sanitation infrastructure project that was funded by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB).

The acting President said development partners can only continue to assist the country if their donations are accounted for. He warned people who were not taking heed that they were doing so at their own peril.

“Our partners become more committed if every cent they donate is spent on what has been agreed upon. When it is discovered that the funds have been abused by corrupt officials, obviously they will be reluctant to continue investing in the country,” said Cde Mnangagwa.

He said the government was determined to deal with corruption in both the private and public sector. Said Cde Mnagagwa: “Ndakunyeverai, vasingadi kuteerera hameno zvavo (I have tipped you, those who do  not want to heed my call against corruption is their fault).”

He urged the people of Masvingo to work for the development of the country.

Cde Mnangagwa said government was prepared to work with development partners from the Western World on an equal partnership basis and not to be a junior partner in the whole set-up resulting in the country being bullied.

He took a swipe at MDC formations for concentrating on cheap politics instead of working on programmes that sustain the livelihoods of ordinary people.

Cde Mnangagwa said opposition parties were talking of electoral reforms instead of raising issues that help the people of Zimbabwe.

“The Minister of Finance is a busy man. He has just come back from the United States where he was appealing for funding to some banks. MDC is wasting time being preoccupied with issues of electoral reforms and boycotting elections instead of concentrating on issues that help the generality of the population, like the provision of clean water and good sanitation,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo appealed to residents not to vandalise the infrastructure.