VICE-PRESIDENT, Constantino Chiwenga, yesterday warned corrupt businesspeople and phantom entrepreneurs for undermining the country’s economic integrity, saying their days are numbered.
This is the second time that Chiwenga has warned those involved in malpractices, as he turned the heat on graft.
Chiwenga questioned the source of riches of tenderpreneurs, a derogatory term referring to corrupt Zanu PF-connected businesspersons, who arealso known as zvigananda.
“We must shun unscrupulous so-called businesspeople operating from briefcases with no traceable capital or legitimate enterprise,” Chiwenga said in his address at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) annual congress in Victoria Falls.
Without naming them, Chiwenga said, “This culture of phantom entrepreneurship, where money appears without any known source, is not only economically corrosive but ethically bankrupt. We all know that money does not fall from the heavens like manna,” he said.
“Real businesses are built through hard work, discipline, sacrifice and value creation.
“The day of reckoning is inevitable for those who undermine our economic integrity by engaging in shadowy dealings.”
This is not the first time that Chiwenga has launched a veiled but pointed broadside on the corrupt in Zanu PF and in government.
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In April, Chiwenga warned that the country’s independence was not meant to benefit the connected elite.
In January, Chiwenga also fired a salvo at showy tenderpreneurs whom he termed “zvigananda”.
He also reprimanded individuals of questionable morals who are “growing big bellies and splashing ill-gotten wealth.”
Chiwenga said there was a need to shun corruption.
“Let us not mortgage our nation's future to fleeting gain,” he said.
“Equally imperative to this shared national and developmental vision is our collective stance on integrity and accountability.
“As we deepen public-private partnerships and catalyse economic growth, we must decisively shun corruption in all its forms. There can be no room for rent-seeking behaviour or muddy practices in a modern, competitive economy.”
He called on businesses to uphold ethics, transparency and corporate governance.
“These values are not optional —they are essential to investor confidence, institutional trust and long-term national prosperity,” he said.
“Our success lies in unlocking policy-driven growth, fostering inclusive partnerships and embedding a culture of professionalism, transparency, productivity and excellence.”
This year's ZNCC congress ran on the theme Unlocking Business Potential Through Policy, Partnerships and Productivity.
The event is a major gathering of business leaders, industry experts, policymakers and entrepreneurs.
Corruption has been on the increase, plummeting to an all-time low, worsening to unprecedented levels since 2016, as the country continues to lose billions to graft and impunity.
According to the results of the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index released in February, Zimbabwe scored 21 points out of a possible 100, down from 24 points in 2023, highlighting a decline in transparency and accountability.
Zimbabwe performed below the sub-Saharan average score of 33 and the global average of CPI of 43. The highest Zimbabwe has scored since 2016 is 24.
