Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Acting President Constantino Chiwenga has taken a subtle swipe at briefcase businessmen and so-called tenderpreneurs (zvigananda), accusing them of looting public resources while the majority of citizens remain trapped in poverty.
Speaking at the burial of national hero Brigadier General (Retired) Mathias Tizirai Ngarava on Friday, 2 January 2026, Chiwenga said the liberation struggle was never meant to benefit a privileged few at the expense of the many.
He stressed that the war of independence was fought so that all Zimbabweans could live with dignity and enjoy meaningful economic empowerment, not to create a system where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small elite. Said Chiwenga:
“What legacy are we creating? One of sacrifice, patriotic service, and national purpose, or one of plunder?
“Ladies and gentlemen, the liberation struggle was not waged so that a few could prosper, while many remain in abject poverty.
“It was fought so that every Zimbabwean could walk in dignity and be economically empowered. Our duty is not merely to honour their memory.
“It is to implement their vision through ethical leadership, clean governance, unity of purpose, and economic transformation.
“Therefore, his enduring aspiration was to see that same stability, prosperity, and national cohesion firmly established in his own country. Not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived reality for every citizen…
“Realising our vision of becoming an upper-middle-income society by 2030 hinges on our collective commitment to ethical behaviour and rejection of selfish enrichment practices.
“We promise that we will continue to work hard and defend and prosper what you have sacrificed your whole life.”
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