Once a fierce critic of Ian Smith’s minority rule before Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, former legislator and economist Eddie Cross has offered a candid reflection on the deep-rooted and destructive culture of corruption that has gripped Zimbabwe since liberation.
Speaking from personal experience and decades of observation, Cross traced the country’s decline from its promising beginnings to what he describes as a “failed state” riddled with graft, mismanagement, and abuse of public resources.
Following independence, Zimbabwe transitioned from a small but effective settler government to one led by liberation war veterans, many of whom lacked experience in governance. The 1980s saw significant progress — with strong global support, expansion in education and health sectors, and steady economic growth. However, this progress began to erode as the ruling party, Zanu PF, solidified its grip on power, particularly after eliminating opposition party ZAPU in 1987 to create a de facto one-party state.
Corruption gradually became entrenched, beginning with the misuse of public enterprises. Cross cited the privatization and subsequent collapse of the Cotton Marketing Board — once a continental powerhouse — as an early example. Poor governance, under-invoicing, and financial malpractice led to its bankruptcy, leaving thousands of farmers unpaid and the cotton industry in ruins.
State-owned enterprises, which once generated a significant share of Zimbabwe’s GDP and employment, have similarly collapsed. National infrastructure has deteriorated, and the country now imports the bulk of its essential goods, reversing the self-sufficiency it once enjoyed.
The discovery of diamonds in Marange in 2006 marked another turning point. Despite massive output that temporarily surpassed Botswana’s, little of the wealth benefited the public. Then-President Robert Mugabe admitted in 2014 that US\$15 billion had gone missing. Cross estimates that since 2008, over US\$30 billion in diamond revenue has effectively vanished, with no visible development in the mining region.
The gold sector has seen similar losses. With up to 700,000 artisanal miners now operating illegally, Zimbabwe has become a major gold producer. However, most of the gold is smuggled, with significant amounts ending up in places like Dubai, where billions of dollars’ worth is sold without traceable origin.
Corruption has infiltrated everyday life — from inflated fuel prices to bribes at police roadblocks, and civil servants demanding kickbacks for basic services. Cross recounts an incident where a junior police officer purchased a house using US\$250,000 reportedly collected from bribes at roadblocks, underscoring the scale of the problem.
Cross warns that the cost of corruption now likely exceeds the country’s national budget. “It has almost become a culture,” he says, decrying the normalization of greed and exploitation. He cited the case of an elderly woman in Gokwe who had her cotton forcibly taken by Cottco and was compensated only with a small parcel of groceries — a stark illustration of systemic abuse.
Calling for urgent reform, Cross condemned the prevailing mindset of entitlement within the ruling elite: “The anthem that it is ‘now our time to eat’ must no longer appear in our hymn sheets.”