Mliswa hits out at Zanu PF for prioritising Patriotic Bill over ZACC Bill
Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has castigated Zanu PF for putting priority on the Patriotic Bill than the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Bill.
Corruption has affected the country’s efforts for economic prosperity in the past decade and there have been calls to empower ZACC and give it more teeth.
However, legislators from Zanu PF have on the forefront pushing for the enactment of the Patriotic Bill instead.
The Patriotic Bill will among other things result in the shrinking of civic and political space in Zimbabwe.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Mliswa said it was sad that Zanu PF is not prioritising laws that will deal with corruption which has affected the majority of the people.
‘’Madam Speaker, who will police the police? Now that this report is out, the public is waiting to see what will happen. Once again, the very same story, political connections, and no one is arrested. I am the Chairman of APNAC; I was at a workshop today – saying that all these reports coming through; how come no one is arrested?
‘’ZACC is arresting, and the Prosecutor-General’s Office is hiding the dockets. It chooses. The Patriotic Bill moves faster in this Parliament than the ZACC Bill. Why is the ZACC Bill not in this Parliament? It is because you know that those Executive members will all end up in prison – they protect themselves.
‘’What revenue does the Patriotic Bill bring? Yet the ZACC Bill will cut on all corners, but we have people caucusing over a Patriotic Bill. Yet we are not coming up with laws to deal with corruption.
‘’I have not seen anything from the ruling party to come up with punitive measures of dealing with corruption, which basically talks about them being part of the corruption, and aiding the corruption,’’ he said.
