Tinotenda Hove – Nelson Chamisa’s aide, Gift Ostallos Siziba, has launched a scathing attack on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration over the introduction of a new digital services tax, accusing the government of further burdening already struggling citizens.

Speaking on Tuesday, Siziba said the tax would deepen hardship for ordinary Zimbabweans who are barely coping with the economic crisis. “The introduction of the digital services tax is a direct assault on ordinary people already stretched to breaking point,” he said.

He described the move as excessive and authoritarian, adding: “These are not marginal adjustments, they are drastic escalations.

This is a fascist, extractive approach to governance.”
Siziba accused the government of avoiding meaningful economic reforms while shifting the cost of failure onto citizens. “Instead of fixing a collapsed economy, restoring confidence, or curbing corruption, the regime has opted to tax convenience, survival, and participation in the digital economy,” he said.

He warned that the tax would disproportionately affect workers, informal traders, small businesses and young people. “Workers, vendors, SMEs, and young people are once again paying for elite failure,” Siziba added.

In a blistering conclusion, Siziba described Zimbabwe as a “vampire state,” accusing the authorities of exploiting the population to sustain poor governance. “It is feeding on its own citizens to sustain incompetence, extravagance, and impunity! We must organize!!!” he said.