“If I Die, I Die”: Tinashe Mutarisi Angry At Corrupt Govt Officials

Tinashe Mutarisi, the founder of Nash Paints, has complained about “corrupt officials” who demand bribe money as a condition for continuing to operate in the country.

Mutarisi said in a statement that he would no longer cooperate with the pressures of the unnamed “corrupt officials.” He stated:

“Sometimes the abuse we get frm these corrupt officials is unbelievable!

I’m really not one to complain but sometimes pple can just abuse their authority zvekusvika pakuti share or I burn everything that you have. If you really care for the thousands that benefit frm this thing give me a cut.

Burn it then

Munhu wese ane breaking point! Enough is enough. The good thing is I kept receipts!

Hold on!

If I die I die, but I’m not going to take this rubbish anymore”.

No further information has been unearthed since his rant on social media.

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Tinashe Mutarisi’s comments are in line with speculation that officials from the ruling ZANU PF party have taken over the mandate of the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA), that promotes and facilitates both foreign direct investment and local investment.

Zimbabwe Morning Post reported in 2019 that investors were being sent to the ZANU PF headquarters to discuss their business interests before they go to ZIA. Reported the publication:

“The top brass that was deployed to run Zanu PF daily is the one that has taken over ZIA’s role and is demanding huge kickbacks from investors as facilitation fees.

“Can you imagine the president is saying Zimbabwe is open for business yet there are tycoons at the HQ demanding that every investor sees them first before making any commitment?

“It’s quite clear these people are killing the investment authority’s mandate and no investor wants to put their money anymore in the country.”

It was reported that the ZANU PF bigwig – retired ministers who were permanently employed at the party’s headquarters – take the investors directly to the permanent secretary of the relevant ministry without going to ZIA once kickbacks known as “facilitation fees” have been paid.

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In 2015, Zimbabwe lost a billion-dollar investment from Dangote after former first lady Grace Mugabe’s team allegedly demanded kickbacks from him the richest man in Africa.

In June 2019, president Emmerson Mnangagwa bemoaned corruption and bureaucracy in the country which he said was scaring away investors. He said:

I am also informed that many investors go back home disappointed, after being moved from office to office, people to people; that should stop.