Tonyleeks - Corruption in Africa: Zimbabwe

This is a Tonyleeks special on corruption. We'll be exposing current leaders who have abused their authority with flagrant flamboyant spending, misuse of public assets and a complete disregard for the rule of law. Tonyleeks will describe in annoying detail the things that you perhaps know, but were afraid to ask.

Zimbabwe.

A lot has been said about corruption in Africa and right here, a Tonyleeks exclusive special, we're about to reveal some of the things you may not know. We speculate, we often joke about, we continually ramble on and broach the subject, never delving into it, the cause and effect of corruption in Africa and while we continue to talk about it, never actually doing anything to stop it, it continues to erode the continent.

Zimbabwe. I remember when Zimbabwe got its independence from Britain, the colonial masters. It was in 1980 and I was old enough to have political sensibilities, even though I was still in high school. A then very young Robert Mugabe took over a country that was brimming with potential. A country that had been built no less on the backs of the African majority to the benefit of the European minority. Much like South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and most of the African nations. Mugabe was young and bright and exhibited many of the qualities of tomorrow's African elite. The leader of leaders. He was the one that was going to show the independent nations of Africa how an African country should be run.

Headquarters in Harare, he began to systematically tear down the country. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely and Mugabe wasn't above that rule. When campaigning for independence, Mugabe was the man of the people. In a few short years, he became the man of himself and his family.

Giving land to his friends and family, many of who couldn't farm, introducing corrupt land distribution (also known as land reform) policies that made sure that productive white people were forcibly removed from their land started the country in a downward spiral.

It's not difficult to imagine that sooner or later, he'd have to start borrowing money from the international community. That sooner or later, Zimbabwe would join a host of other African nations that cannot feed themselves. A beautiful country of just over 13 million people, who many refer to as the heart of Africa, with beautiful rain forests, and voluminous waterfalls a hard working population that historically built the city of Great Zimbabwe, to be reduced by a handful of neocolonialists  to starvation and third world destitution is tragic. More than tragic, this is senseless and shows that the selfish agenda of despotic African leaders is more to blame than the history of colonialism.

Without a doubt, Mugabe has pocketed millions, if not billions, of donor aid money. He's enjoyed a privileged lifestyle while his people have become increasingly destitute. He owns a number of homes, many of them overseas. Enjoys privileges exceeding those of the wealthy in developed countries mostly supported on the labour of the people he promised freedom from oppression. Many of his country men and women are no better today than they were during colonial times. Many of them are far worse off. Of course, independence has worked in favour of Mugabe and his close friends.

Tonyleeks has also learned that Mugabe's wealth is not entirely contained in Zimbabwean assets. He also holds title deeds in Europe and North America. In fact, it's arguable that most of his assets are outside Africa. The question as to how those assets were funded is shrouded in creative accounting the likes of which some of the larger consulting companies are used to. Mobutu Sese Seko, Kamuzu Banda, Jomo Kenyatta, Arap Moi, Idi Amin, Patrice Lumumba, Jerry Rawlings, Ghadaffi and a list too long to mention have intimate partnerships with the Pricewaterhouses, the KPMG's, Delloite and Touche's and Dunwoody's of this world. In order to squirrel away large sums of money it's inevitable to associate with unsavoury types who understand the financial world and are versed in the science of laundering to make illicit activities appear somewhat legal. Al Capone, known mostly for the gangster violence in prohibitionist Chicago was finally captured due to an error in Federal tax calculation. Al apparently wasn't paying attention to his income tax returns, and quite rightly so, since it would have been very difficult to submit exorbitant income statements and escape an audit from the Internal Revenue Service of the United States government.

But Mugabe doesn't require creative actuaries or, for that matter, actuaries or accountants. The money that he has obtained is a salary, base pay, for services rendered to the people of Zimbabwe, most of it accounted for through government expenses since he doesn't have to pay for his meals, his transportation, his accommodations since these are all charged to the people he serves. And this makes sense. You wouldn't expect to send an envoy to represent you without providing them with transportation, meals and shelter. Likewise, Mugabe's stand is that he has this huge responsibility of leadership, chosen by the people, and so they are paying for his leadership.

And so while the cost of running Zimbabwe is high, and the results are clearly not visible, the question that remains to be answered is whether or not the formula that Mugabe is using is an equitable one. Is his governance fair? Is he elevating the status of the common man, woman, child and creating an environment that fosters the betterment of everyone?

So far the results do not show this. Of late, Tonyleeks has uncovered reports of abuse leading to death of Zimbabweans who are against government politics. Dissent is frowned upon in modern Zimbabwe. Once upon a time, the common person could raise his or her voice and the sound of that criticism would be welcome. Mugabe, the greatest critic, was able to win his argument with the British and kick them out of Zimbabwe. But now that the voices of dissent have turned on to his government, those voices are no longer welcome. Sadly, a number of reports from the field indicate that heightened poverty leaves the citizens with no choice. Especially in cases where land is an issue. Peasants chased off their land that Mugabe wants to allocate to his cronies often find themselves on the wrong side of the law. In such cases, having no voice, no visibility to the International community, their disappearance isn't even noticed.

Mugabe is the first African president of Zimbabwe. He ascended to presidency on independence and as of this writing, 2011, he is still the leader of the country. He was born on the 21st of February in 1924 which would make him 87 today. Like many dictators, he does not see an end to his presidency and his failing health is becoming much more prominent on national television. He is not the same man who took over power at the age of 55. Definitely, 32 years of ruling isn't the issue. There have been monarchs and other leaders who have ruled as long, but showing no progress, in fact, leading a country to ruination requires fortitude and presence of mind to step down. Stepping down isn't in the interest of Mugabe and Mugabe does only what's best for Mugabe. He's shown time and time again that he only pays lip service to the people he supposedly represents. Making the tough decisions isn't something that he's likely to do right now.

Mugabe is therefore a prime example of an incompetent African leader. He will go down in the annals of history as the man who principally destroyed Zimbabwe who took a country full of hope and destroyed its productivity, much like Idi Amin of Uganda and Arap Moi of Kenya. A sad example of why the western, primarily European, world looks to Africa, shakes their collective heads, and sighs at the inability of Africans to govern themselves. In the latter part of 2000, a movie about a land conflict was created, Mugabe and the White African (http://www.mugabeandthewhiteafrican.com/). A story of one White Zimbabweans struggle to keep land that he had purchased from the government. There isn't a happy ending in that story, however, it is typical of the struggle that many Zimbabweans face in trying to succeed against insurmountable odds. Left to Mugabe and his cronies, the country will be destitute within a decade.

And like the motto of the movie, if good men do nothing, evil will prevail.