Nash Paints founder, Tinashe Mutarisi, has complained about “corrupt officials” who are demanding kickbacks as a condition for operating in the country.
In a statement seen by Pindula News, Mutarisi said he was no longer going to comply with the demands of the unnamed “corrupt officials.” He said:
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
Pindula News tried in vain to have more details from Mutarisi on the alleged corrupt officials demanding Kickbacks as his phone was not being answered. He was also yet to answer this reporter’s questions emailed to him on 09 February 2023 at the time of writing.
Mutarisi’s remarks are consistent with reports that the ruling ZANU PF party’s officials had taken over the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA)’s mandate of promoting and facilitating 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.
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.
Tinashe Mutarisi, who opened Nash Paints Group headquarters in Zambia last year, is in the process of launching Foodies, a company that will reportedly major in food.
In other news – Robert Mugabe Jnr released so he can celebrate his late father’s birthday
Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s son Robert Mugabe Jnr (31) was arrested on Sunday and was detained at Avondale police station.
He was escorted by detectives to the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday, but prosecutors referred his matter back to the police station ‘for further management’. He is charged with malicious damage to property.Learn More
