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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

ZIMBABWEANS have been challenged to co-operate with Government in its quest to fight corruption both in the public and private sectors.

In a speech read on her behalf by Chief Director for Rural Authorities in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Christopher Shumba, at the 2nd anti-corruption conference in Victoria Falls last week, the Ministry’s Deputy Minister Cde Marian Chombo said while Government has put in place various pieces of legislation to fight corruption and related crimes, the war cannot be won without input from every citizen.

“Government declared zero tolerance to corruption to achieve the middle income economy by 2030. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has been fully constituted while legislation has been crafted and this is the time for us to put our shoulders to the wheel and ensure we have corruption free public institutions that our citizens can be proud of. I need to underscore that legislation alone will not cure the scourge of corruption in the country. In fact it is only half the battle, the other half involves the citizens themselves. It’s my view that there is a need for our own people’s attitudes, moral persuasions and behaviours to be transformed so as to have more responsible and patriotic citizens,” she said.

Government crafted the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act, Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act, Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, Audit Office Act and Procurement Act as well as the Public Finance Management Act to fight graft related crimes. 

The Deputy Minister said if left unchecked, corruption undermines the confidence of the public in Government, local authorities and public institutions’ ability to deliver their aspirations. She said corruption has become like a culture in both public and private institutions thereby threatening development. 

Cde Chombo said some local authorities and public entities undercut laid down processes and procedures at the expense of accountability and transparency.

She said Government remains committed to addressing underlying socio economic fundamentals critical to rebuilding the national economy. 

 “To achieve growth and poverty reduction, developing countries have to deal with corruption. Poor governance, weak administrative practices and corrupt tendencies within our public institutions continue to inhibit the country’s socio-economic development initiatives. 

“The Second Republic is working tirelessly to attract foreign direct investment to boost economic revival and this thrust will need to be supported by strong and upright institutions both public and private hence we call upon local authorities to join Central Government in rebuilding our national economy,” she said.

The conference which ended on Friday was organised by Compact Training and was attended by officials from various local authorities in the country. 

ZACC manager for ethics and public education Dr Munyaradzi Magiga said corruption threatens stability and security of the country, delivery of justice, sustainable development, and the rule of law as well as investment and development in general.

He said Zimbabwe is rated 160 out of 180 countries globally and 44th in Africa after scoring 22 points out of 100 on the 2018 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. 

This, Dr Magiga said, scares away investors hence the need for everyone to fight corruption. 

“We need to change our attitude and instil ethical values, be proactive and be prepared to tell the truth to our leadership and customers. We need to create uncomfortable zones for corruption by toughening the laws, passing long custodial sentences, inviting suspects to explain their sources of wealth, recovering all stolen property, mainstream anti-corruption in work and school processes and refrain from public dissonance,” he said.

Dr Magiga said ZACC has prioritised improved investigations for prosecution, increased asset tracking and recovery, decentralisation, enhanced anti-corruption awareness and improved work performance in its 2020-2024 Strategic Plan.

Conference convener from Compact Training Mr Trueman Debwe said corruption is an evil that must be eradicated as it distorts the economy.

“Corruption is not only bribery but includes other forms such as abuse of office, influence peddling, favouritism, conflict of interests and creates unequal conditions and increases costs for organisations while also undermining trust in local authorities. This is bad for business and fighting it must be a top priority as it is estimated to cost the country billions of dollars per annum,” he said.— @ncubeleon