FAZ scandal a sign of serious rot
The revelations that taxpayers’ money was used to bankroll the Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) trust, a Zanu PF affiliate that was heavily involved in the ruling party’s 2023 election campaign, is a serious cause for concern.
According to a new report by The Sentry, an investigative and policy organisation that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression and kleptocracy, released last week, FAZ was established by associates and family members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) deputy director general Walter Tapfumaneyi.
Both the CIO and Tapfumaneyi have been denying allegations that they were behind FAZ, which was singled out by foreign observer missions for compromising the credibility of last year’s elections as it sought to influence the polls in Zanu PF’s favour.
FAZ itself claimed that it was not funded or controlled by the CIO, but the new evidence published by The Sentry has helped to put the matter to rest and if the government cares about transparency, the shadowy organisation must be shut down without any further delays.
It was revealed that FAZ’s official deeds show that its trustees and founders include Tapfumaneyi's family and associates.
It was also discovered that the main phone number for FAZ was used in the past by a CIO officer.
The investigators from The Sentry used several phone apps that revealed the names under which the telephone number was saved by its contacts in users’ address books, suggesting the involvement of the CIO.
FAZ is estimated to have spent US$4 million importing 160 Toyota Hilux pickup trucks for Zanu PF candidates.
The organisation also employed thousands of agents across the country that were accused of intimidating rural voters to vote for the ruling party.
Most of the information released by The Sentry was already in the public domain, but what is important is that the allegations are backed by hard evidence in the form of documents.
The authorities must act on the information that has been put out by the American organisation and stop the rot.
FAZ greatly undermined Zimbabwe’s electoral systems and the country paid dearly for its actions as international observers concluded that the August 2023 polls did not meet international standards.
The government must not be funding organisations that push the partisan interests of a political party, abusing state institutions to advance narrow interests.