Zimbabwe Senior State officials have been accused of allegedly profiteering after looting funds during the importation of the 17 000 tonnes of grain bought at an inflated price, double the world market price.
Reports revealed that the grain was brought in from Tanzania where President John Magafuli and Mnangagwa are allies, at a price of US$600 a tonne instead of US$240 a tonne.
An expert in the regional commodity trade said the only explanation for the inflated price of the consignment is a ‘vast corrupt rake-off’ in which those that knew about it, benefited from it.
According to the report, this revelation is a blow to the diminishing credibility of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government which has been associated with a number of corrupt activities.
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa wrote on his tweeter handle “I fail to understand how anyone can sleep at night knowing that they are using our people’s hunger to line their pockets and then hide behind sanctions. This is evil and must stop,” read his tweet.
The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that at least half of Zimbabwe’s population of 16,5 million are currently ‘food insecure’.
