ZIMBABWE is bleeding, and the wound is self-inflicted.
Prosecutor-General Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo (pictured below) recently dropped a bombshell: the nation loses a staggering US$1.8 billion annually to corruption and illicit financial flows. This figure, equivalent to more than 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), is not just a statistic — it’s a death knell for Zimbabwe’s ambitious Vision 2030, which aims to transform the nation into an upper-middle-income economy by the end of the decade.
More alarmingly, this systemic corruption is strangling efforts to ensure food security, advance sustainable agriculture and combat the escalating climate crisis, leaving millions of Zimbabweans teetering on the edge of survival.
A nation robbed blind
Matanda-Moyo’s revelation, delivered at a financial and asset recovery training workshop in Harare, paints a grim picture of a country undermined by its own elites. Some commentators have rightly observed that the Prosecutor-General’s US$1.8 billion is a grossly understated figure — considering the astonishing amounts of money looted via dodgy public procurement tenders alone.
“Such illicit financial flows are unacceptable and bleed the economy of revenue meant to promote sustainable socio-economic development,” she declared, underscoring how corruption siphons funds that could transform critical sectors like health, education, and agriculture.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), which Matanda-Moyo has previously headed, estimates that over the past five years, corruption has cost US$9 billion—enough to fund the country’s needs for two years. Yet, only US$100 million in illicitly acquired assets have been recovered, a mere 1% of the total losses.
Zimbabwe is now in the grips of mafia-like cartels. Corrupt officials and their corporate cronies are draining public coffers, leaving the government with scant resources to invest in development. This financial hemorrhage directly threatens Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, which hinges on sustained economic growth, infrastructure development and agricultural modernisation.
Cartels rule the roost
Some of the most egregious manifestations of state capture have played out in the agricultural sector.
Under Command Agriculture, a scandalous state subsidy scheme, US$3 billion has not been accounted for. It was used as a vehicle for massive looting by political elites and their cronies.
Six years after the Auditor-General raised alarm over Command Agriculture, no forensic audit has been conducted.
You can read Brezh Malaba’s Special Investigation into Command Agriculture here: Special Investigation: The forgotten scandal— Still no forensic audit into Command Agriculture
Corruption weakens food security
Zimbabwe, a landlocked nation of 16 million, perennially grapples with food insecurity, worsened by El Niño-induced droughts.
The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 6 million people—over a third of the population—are facing food insecurity during the 2024-2025 lean season. Corruption’s chokehold on public funds only deepens this crisis. The US$1.8 billion lost annually could fund irrigation projects, seed distribution and agricultural extension services, all critical to stabilising food production in a country where agriculture employs 70% of the workforce and contributes 15% to GDP.
Instead, mismanagement and corruption have plagued agricultural programmes. The agriculture sector, described as the “backbone” of Zimbabwe’s economy by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is riddled with cartels that siphon profits through corrupt procurement processes and land seizures.
Agricultural subsidies and inputs meant for smallholder farmers often end up in the hands of politically connected elites. This misallocation leaves rural farmers, who produce 60% of the nation’s food, without the tools to boost yields or adapt to erratic weather patterns.
The consequences are dire. In 2023, Zimbabwe’s production of staple maize plummeted by 30% due to drought and input shortages, forcing the country to rely on costly imports. Without adequate funding to scale up climate-smart agriculture—such as drought-resistant crops or hydroponic systems—the nation’s food security remains precarious.
Sustainable agriculture stalled
Vision 2030 emphasizes transforming agriculture from subsistence farming to a modern, export-driven sector. Yet, corruption undermines every step of this journey. The US$1.8 billion lost annually could bankroll precision agriculture, agro-processing industries, and value-addition initiatives, positioning Zimbabwe as a regional agricultural powerhouse. Instead, the sector remains trapped in a cycle of low productivity and raw material exports, with little investment in technology or infrastructure.
The National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1), Zimbabwe’s roadmap to 2025, prioritises agricultural modernisation, but progress is sluggish. For instance, the government’s irrigation rehabilitation programme, aimed at mitigating drought, has been hampered by inflated contracts and shoddy work, according to a 2023 Auditor-General’s report.
Meanwhile, illicit financial flows drain resources that could fund research into climate-resilient crops or training for farmers to adopt sustainable practices.
The International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), which facilitated Matanda-Moyo’s workshop, is helping Zimbabwe track and repatriate stolen assets hidden abroad. However, Zacc chairperson Michael Reza admits that criminals are growing more sophisticated, outpacing underfunded law enforcement agencies. Until these funds are recovered and reinvested, sustainable agriculture will remain a pipe dream, leaving farmers vulnerable to climate shocks and market failures.
Climate crisis: A missed opportunity
Zimbabwe’s climate crisis is inseparable from its corruption woes. The country is highly vulnerable to climate change, with rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events threatening agricultural output.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) projects that without significant reforms, Zimbabwe’s GDP growth will fall short of the 7-10% needed to achieve Vision 2030, partly due to climate-related losses. The US$1.8 billion lost to corruption could fund renewable energy projects, reforestation, and climate adaptation measures but, instead, the nation remains locked in a fossil-fuel-dependent economy.
Corruption diverts funds from expanding crucial programmes meant to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Moreover, Zimbabwe’s energy sector, critical for powering irrigation and agro-processing, is plagued by inefficiencies and graft, with state-owned enterprises like ZESA losing millions to mismanagement.
A call to action
Matanda-Moyo’s statement is both a warning and a rallying cry. Zimbabwe cannot achieve food security, sustainable agriculture, or climate resilience while corruption festers unchecked.
The government’s recent efforts, including Zacc’s asset recovery push and international co-operation on financial investigations, are steps in the right direction. However, selective prosecution and a lack of transparency continue to erode public trust.
For Zimbabwe to salvage Vision 2030, it must prioritise accountability, strengthen institutions, and redirect recovered funds to agriculture and climate initiatives. The alternative is stark: a nation perpetually on the brink, where the dreams of millions are sacrificed at the altar of greed.
As Matanda-Moyo aptly put it, “It is time that we totally eradicate corruption in Zimbabwe.” The clock is ticking, and the stakes could not be higher.–Staff Writer.
