The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has dismissed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a failure who was not any different from his predecessor Robert Mugabe.
ZCTU president Peter Mutasa told NewZimbabwe.com on Tuesday Mnangagwa was exhibiting Mugabe's traits through failure to stamp out high level corruption largely blamed for the country's economic woes.
Mugabe (94), ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 before his November ouster by Mnangagwa, through the assistance of the country's military.
Since the time, Mnangagwa has tried to present a totally different image of himself, often telling all and sundry, his rule represented a "new dispensation" and "the second republic".
However, the country's largest workers union is least impressed with Mnangagwa's posturing.
"He has been there since November... he is following in the footsteps of Robert Mugabe where the government thinks it knows everything," Mutasa said, adding that Mnangagwa's government, just like Mugabe's, had no time to consult citizens on key decisions affecting their lives.
"We have seen lip service on that fight against corruption. That is a major failure; we know there are fat cats, we know there are fat chiefs within Zanu PF and within his government.
"He has even appointed some people who are facing allegations of swindling money from public institutions like NSSA," said Mutasa.
Mutasa added that there was need for the creation of state institutions which were truly independent of government and Zanu PF control.
"We have not seen changes in governance. We need to see independent institutions, we need to see a parliament that is independent of the executive, a judiciary that brings confidence to investors and citizens, that it is independent from the ruling party. We need to see functionaries of the state that are independent of the political party."
Mutasa's comments come after police on Tuesday banned national demonstrations which the ZCTU had lined up for parts of the country to protest government's newly introduced 2 percent tax on electronic transfers.
Police cited a prevailing government ban on all public gatherings in attempts to control the further spread of a devastating cholera disaster that has claimed 49 since it was declared weeks ago.
