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Land scandal in Harare
Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa
April 09, 2010

Crackdown on Harare city council councillors is an attempt to intimidate individuals and institutions from investigating corruption cases

The Anti Corruption Trust of Southern Africa Trust (ACT-Southern Africa) Zimbabwe Office is deeply saddened by the latest developments at the Harare City Council (HCC) following the arrest of Councillors opposed to corruption after the publication of gross irregularities and corruption in the disposal of municipal land.

Instead of investigating the matter and verifying the authenticity of the report, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has moved in to harass and persecute some members of the Special Committee of the HCC and level criminal charges against them. Such actions lends credence to the widely held view that the law and law enforcement agencies in Zimbabwe are being abused by high ranking government officials to instill fear and sense of insecurity thereby suppressing the truth.

ACT-Southern Africa is of the view that the said ZRP and the local Anti Corruption and Monopolies Commission should have seized the opportunity provided by the report to dig deeper into the allegations. However, the police chose to protect the interests of senior government officials and ignored the interests of the people whom Council serves.

ACT-Southern Africa strongly commends the efforts by the Harare City Council in investigating and making known to the valued ratepayers any corrupt activities or underhand dealings as a way of nipping corruption in the bud.

That said the Harare City Council is recommended to stand by its report if the whole process was professionally done and within the confines of the law. The ratepayers will always be behind the truth and the truth will set them free.

ACT-Southern Africa hopes that this crusade to get rid of corruption will also be emulated and replicated by other councils in the country in order to eradicate corruption.

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