Kwekwe Political Elites Hijacking And Looting COVID-19 Rescue Package For SMEs & Vendors

Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) has made allegations that the political elite and civil servants in Kwekwe and Redcliff are looting and highjacking COVID-19 relief funds, New Zimbabwe reports.  This was revealed by Act-SA director Obert Chinhamo in a statement that revealed that a senator is among the people who are on the list to benefit from the relief funds. Obert Chinhamo’s statement reads in part:

Act-SA is deeply concerned that the rescue package meant to cushion the Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the Informal sector against loss due to the national Covid-19 lockdown has been hijacked and looted by the political elite and civil servants in Kwekwe and Redcliff,

(The list)includes a senator, high ranking politicians at district and provincial levels, teachers, nurses and other civil servants. On the other side, deserving names submitted by the Kwekwe Vendors Association and the Kwekwe Business Association of the Small to Medium Enterprises Trust were disregarded.

The looting of the fund for SMEs and the informal sector is shocking. I just don’t know when all this madness will be stopped in Zimbabwe. Almost all similar funds are looted. We are shameless. This issue must be investigated and appropriate action taken against the culprits.

Chinhamo was referring to the relief package that was extended to the SMEs by the government to cushion them from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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