By Christopher Makaza
The recent arrest of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Prisca Mupfumira over alleged corruption charges and the summoning of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Munesu Munodawafa by ZACC has brought hope of a new free corruption era for Zimbabweans.
There has been continued outcry from Zimbabweans accusing the Zanu PF government for failing to address the corruption issue which together with illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West crippled the nation and caused untold suffering to the ordinary citizens.
President Mnangagwa has shown the nation that he has the courage to tackle corruption in all its various manifestations regardless of perpetrators’ position in government, status in society or political affiliation.
He has promised to leave no stone unturned in confronting dishonest and fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, fraud and theft, as well as other criminal activities.
Despite all the efforts and arrests by ZACC, the opposition movement particularly the MDC has been mum on the arrest of corrupt elements. They unfortunately wait to use their law professions to defend the accused in courts as the case with Job Sikhala representing former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi who is facing charges of abuse of office.
Former Principal Director State Residences Douglas Tapfumanei is also another latest top official who has been arrested by ZACC facing charges of criminal abuse of office involving importation of private vehicles.
President Mnangagwa once said, “Corruption remains the major source of some of the problems we face as a country and its retarding impact on national development cannot be overemphasized. On individual cases of corruption, every case must be investigated and punished in accordance with the dictates of our laws. There should be no sacred cows. My government will have zero tolerance towards corruption and this has already begun.”
ZACC has warned of more shock arrests, declaring that nobody will be spared in the effort to root out endemic graft costing the country billions of dollars.
ZACC has been given a new lease of life after being reconstituted, strengthened and made functional. Over the years, the body has been at the receiving end of insults and derision from the general public, which felt it was doing less than it should to contain corruption. In an attempt to strengthen ZACC the Government gave ZACC officers powers of arrest to enhance its capacity to fight against corruption in Zimbabwe.
ZACC Chairperson, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, said that arresting powers awarded to ZACC have made their life easier when arresting people without relying much on police officers highlighting that it is because of these arresting powers that they managed to arrest top government officials like Minister Mupfumira.
Organisations and individuals have hailed the new dispensation’s efforts in the fight against corruption. Recently, the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) Chairperson David Jamali welcomed the new ZACC Commissioners urging them to work independently and without fear or favour producing results which they are already exhibiting. This new commission means business.
Upon his inauguration and first State of Nation Address in 2017, President Emmerson Mnangagwa drew a line between years of endemic corruption and impunity and serious political will to fight and put corruption to an end, and is now walking the talk.
The new dispensation is surely making great strides to ensure that corruption is completely rooted out of the Zimbabwean society.
To make sure that the fight against corruption sails through President Mnangagwa established a Special Anti-Corruption Unit housed in the Office of the President and Cabinet to improve efficiency in the fight against all forms of graft and to strengthen the effectiveness of national mechanisms for the prevention of corruption.
