MY Government is committed to zero tolerance towards corruption. Both public and private sector officials, at all levels, who engage in corrupt practices, will be caught and punished without fear or favour.” – President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The challenges from corruption and bribery, spurred on by a harsh economic environment, with a cash crisis in the mix, are heading the country down a dangerous path, an anti-corruption, accountability, transparency and citizen-engagement body has said.
“Unless we act seriously and urgently we will find ourselves staring economic disruption in the face,” says Muchaneta Mundopa, executive director of Transparency International Zimbabwe (TI-Z.)
TI-Z is a non-partisan system-oriented local chapter of the international movement against corruption.
Corruption involving the abuse of positions of power for personal gain, both within the public and private sectors , has become such a pervasive scandal in the country that it has forced itself onto the election agenda and manifestos of many a political outfit campaigning in this year’s harmonized polls due next July.
With the country losing at least US$1 billion annually, according to TIZ, someone has to act. And TIZ has come out calling the President to act urgently on the findings and recommendations of the entities set to probe and root out such activities especially in the public sector to stem the loss of confidence in the new dispensation and the country’s governance systems.
The local chapter was establishes in 2001 with the broad mandate to fight corruption and related vices through networks of integrity in line with the global strategy.
Mundopa points out that despite some important pieces of legislation such as the whistle-blower legislation, there is a general perception among the populace that corruption persists at all levels of public life, and in the political sphere in particular.
“Zimbabwe has enough institutions, legal framework to deal with corruption,” she says, explaining that the major issue of concern has been political will.
“Despite these frameworks, the country continues to score negatively on corruption indices such as the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) and the Ease of Doing Business,” the director says.
A recent study by the same body has revealed that this unenviable position is due to several factors which include but are not limited to the following:
Information asymmetry between public officials and ordinary citizens.
Ordinary citizens are not confident to hold public official s accountable.
The politics of patronage and rent-seeking behavior has characterized public sector institutions in the country.
President Mnangagwa’s inauguration speech last November marked the beginning of a rampage of political rhetoric in as far as corruption is concerned.
And the President has been consistent in reminding all at each and every turn to stand up against corruption as he told Zimbabweans in Qatar last week:
“My Government is committed to zero tolerance towards corruption. Both public and private sector officials, at all levels, who engage in corrupt practices, will be caught and punished without fear or favour.”
However , from the efforts government has been making which include among others: a) a three-month moratorium to those who externalized money; b) a question-and-answer before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for public officials to account; and c) the introduction of anti-corruption courts and setting up of a special anti-corruption unit within the Office of the President and Cabinet, “ more still needs to be done” and “ these significant strides require effective support to sustain them, says TI-Z.
While a lot id expected by citizens, and from citizens, at this moment especially in rejecting, resisting and reporting all forms of corruption, says Mundopa, the foul cry has been the fact that citizens are now active participants o in corrupt activities and have adopted such as cultural practices. This is principally due to high levels of impunity and the high cost of compliance in the country.
So, what is to be done?
“The absence of an effective whistle-blower protection Act also acts as an impediment,” says the director, explaining: “The absence of appropriate legislation protecting those willing to offer evidence impedes the fight against corruption and exposes whistle-blowers to risks of retaliation.”
A lot of issues, reports and allegations that need investigation have been raised in the public domain. Some of these include the Auditor-General’s dossier in 2017 containing high levels of corruption and mismanagement of funds within the public sector.
“But to date, little seems to have been done in holding the perpetrators accountable,” Mundopa says, further explaining that the lack of action on the above can backfire as it sends the wrong message.
“Although our Parliament is supposed to play an oversight role, this has not been possible due to lack of capacity on how to hold the Executive accountable,” she says.
Elsewhere in Brazil, South America’s largest nation sent its former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to jail to serve a 12-year sentence for money laundering and corruption.
And in May 2014, Israel sent brash former prime minister Ehud Olmert after he was charged and found guilty on corruption charges. Olmert became the most prominent former Israeli leader to be sentenced to prison, with a judge giving him six years for taking bribes while likening him to a traitor.
The above cases show that if a government is serious in the anti-corruption crusade, there should be no sacred cows or places where angels fear to tread!
Acting without fear or favour against corruption helps build and strengthen institutions like the anti-corruption commission, the judicial system as well as citizen participation.
Mundopa argues that action ensures an effective system of checks and balances as it is not good enough “to read corruption cases in the press but witnessing nothing happening on the ground!”
“We have learnt that fighting against corruption is a collaborative effort involving government, citizens, private enterprise as well as civil society,” she says, adding: “And we need to develop a strategy that clearly positions all stakeholders to act in the fight against this cancer.”
TI-Z emphasizes that the police and local government officials are among the major offenders fingered in Zimbabwe losing over US$1 billion annually and other top public sector official s have been externalising money and demanding bribes from potential investors thereby shattering investor interest in coming to invest in the economy.
Look no further than reports of cases involving Africa’s richest man Dangote who came face-to-face with this reality when the unpopular nephew of former president Robert Mugabe, Patrick Zhuwawo (Joao), demanded a US$5 million bribe for the tycoon to get a green light to do business here.
Mugabe’s ancient regime may have been rotten to the core but the new administration needs to act urgently on corruption as this may well give direction on the success of the government’s mantra: Zimbabwe is open for business.
By Patrick Musira
