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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Government should strengthen anti-corruption institutions while embarking on a charm diplomacy offensive in a bid to rebuild the economy, a researcher has said.

Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe’s director Dr Gorden Moyo said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s narrative on rebuilding the country is positive and should be swiftly implemented to avert poverty affecting communities.

Dr Moyo said the country has a chance to catch up with other developing economies if Government implements policies that won Zanu-PF the just ended elections.

“Election season is over. We are already in the post election season and in the immediate post election season what is important is for Government to be set up. After that, they have to prioritise and look at issues that they raised in their campaign and attend to those issues,” he said.

Dr Moyo said fighting corruption should be at the top of the Government’s agenda as transparency would attract investors.

He said while former President Mr Robert Mugabe’s administration incubated corruption, President Mnangagwa’s should strengthen anti-corruption units.

“So it is corruption in Government that needs to be dealt with first. Once Government has dealt with corruption in state institutions, it will naturally be able to deal with corruption in society and in the private sector,” he said.

“The Government has got the tools, it has policies, it has got institutions, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission should be fully institutionalised, fully funded with the investigatory instruments provided to it and people with pedigree to run it.”

He said the President has to lead the anti-graft drive and anti-corruption personnel must be re-educated on their roles.

“We need all the law enforcement agents to be retooled, re-schooled, re-tutored for them to appreciate that they have to nip corruption in the bud. And if the President himself leads that crusade, then it will be done. It will be reduced to the levels that its impacts are not where it is now on the economy,” he said.

Dr Moyo said Government should immediately address the cash crisis as a confidence building mechanism while growing the economy and creating jobs for restless youths.

He said the country should embark on a diplomatic offensive and be part of community of nations.

“Zimbabwe has to normalise its relations with the rest of the world. There is a need for Zimbabwe to connect with the Western community, with the Brics- the emerging economies of the global south. It has to make sure that there is diplomacy, commercial diplomacy, economic diplomacy, political diplomacy and social diplomacy across the board in the region, sub regionally and continentally,” he said.

Dr Moyo said the Government should also tap into expertise of technocrats as the world is now in the knowledge economy.

“The fourth industrial revolution is driven by technocrats. It’s driven by business minded people. It’s driven by knowledge, we are in the knowledge economy. And we need people with technical and conceptual and theoretical understanding of our investment space. We also need people with hands-on experience, those who have been there in the industry; those are the people who can take the country forward,” said Dr Moyo. — @nqotshili.