Zimbabwe: Face of Corruption! Biti, Kasukuwere Blast Tagwirei, Call for Audit of Sakunda Holdings Contracts

27 June 2025
New Zimbabwe (London)
By Darlington Gatsi

FORMER cabinet ministers Saviour Kasukuwere and Tendai Biti have pushed back against controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, describing him as the "face of corruption" whose rise to power will be dire for Zimbabwe.

This comes after Tagwirei launched attacks on former ZANU-PF political commissar Kasukuwere and Biti, accusing them of corruption.

Biti has previously challenged Tagwirei's Command Agriculture contracts when he was still a legislator.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Consequently, in 2020, Tagwirei was sanctioned by the United States of America for allegedly aiding government corruption through state contracts secured by his company, Sakunda Holdings.

Posting on X, Kasukuwere said Tagwirei's ascent to power within ZANU-PF would betray the revolutionary party's ethos.

"A good fraudster is not necessarily a good politician. Trying to turn a thief into a leader is the ultimate betrayal of the revolutionary party by a reactionary leader. The game has begun, and that rimming mouth will not be opened again.

"When a frog wakes up in ZANU-PF's Central Committee, it thinks all other positions are acquired by leaping! A historic party has been reduced to a rent-seeking, positions-for-sale party. How does a whole NPC [National Political Commissar] Machacha subordinate himself to a crook? Hurombo Huroyi," wrote Kasukuwere.

Tagwirei, a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is reportedly eyeing the ZANU PF leadership when Mnangagwa's constitutional term expires in 2028.

The businessman has been criss-crossing the country, hosting ZANU PF events, a move political observers describe as an attempt to galvanise support within the ruling party.

He has denied ambitions to succeed Mnangagwa, instead pushing for the president's term to be extended beyond the constitutional two-term limit.

Biti, who has been vocal against Tagwirei's potential rise to power, said an audit should be conducted to trace funds the businessman allegedly gained through opaque government contracts.

"We stand firm on principle & on deep-rooted values that have defined us for decades. We will never allow charlatans & crooks to take over the State, to emasculate the Constitution, or to buy their way into office. Criminals must know that one day soon, Zimbabwe will rise, and crooks will fall.

"A New Zimbabwe must audit all Treasury Bills issued by the Government in the last 20 years. Billions have been illicitly siphoned off in opaque transactions done outside parliamentary scrutiny. One crook has been awarded more TBs than any other entity in Zimbabwe. It's time for this audit!" said Biti.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2025 New Zimbabwe. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.