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Wielding
a sword against corruption in Zimbabwe
Dydimus
Zengenene, Kubatana.net
May 11, 2010
View audio file details
Corruption is a deplorable activity that haunts
Zimbabwe across all walks of life. Corruption is spreading like
a veldt fire and a tough stance by all stakeholders is well overdue.
The African
Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Zimbabwe chapter
has taken it upon its shoulders to weather the storm by calling
their first press conference to publicly express their denunciation
of any form of corruption in the country.
Speaking at
the conference, the Chairman for APNAC, Honourable Willas Madzimure,
expressed concern that some public office bearers are busy enriching
themselves at a time when the taxpayers are struggling to make ends
meet. He called upon the President of Zimbabwe to quickly appoint
the Anti Corruption Commission, which might help look into these
issues.
Listen
He also added
that the Commission so assigned should promptly give feed feedback
to the parliamentarians.
Listen
Honourable Madzimure
also called upon the government to implement the law that requires
Members of Parliament and senior government officials to declare
their assets to the state before assuming public office, stressing
also that their accumulation of wealth should be put under public
scrutiny.
Listen
Honourable Madzimure
made it clear that Members of Parliament have the right to access
any sector to find facts on behalf of the people whom they represent.
His statement comes amid reports that the government barred
MPs from the Mines and Energy portfolio committee from touring
the Chiadzwa diamond fields on a fact-finding mission to understand
the background to the allegations of corrupt dealings involving
senior government officials.
APNAC expressed
condemnation of the misallocation of residential stands, approval
of substandard and incomplete infrastructure developments and abuse
of council property including vehicles. He also expressed concern
over the reports that councilors are allegedly allocating themselves
houses belonging to the poor and on reports that illustrate corruption
by high-level government official and influential business people.
Listen
He called upon
the police to desist from assuming a reluctant stance when handling
corruption cases that involve government officials when they are
reported.
Listen
Though the Honourable
Madzimure did not mention any names, it was apparent that the APNAC
criticism was directed at the council house scandal and the corruption
that has entangled Minister Chombo and the flamboyant businessman,
Chiyangwa, who boasts of owning almost a fifth of the city of Harare.
The two men are alleged to have connived with top city officials
to allocate themselves vast tracts of land. The case is still under
police investigation, though a council
report clearly pointed out anomalies in the manner in which
land deals were undertaken.
Responding to
the question whether APNAC is prepared to shoulder potential victimisation
and dangerous consequences in their endeavor to combat corruption
involving very powerful politicians, APNAC members stressed that
they have sacrificially placed themselves on the persecution altar,
for the cause of good governance. However to achieve better results
the APNAC called for synergies with the police and other interested
parties that share the same hatred for corruption.
Listen
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