Senator for Manicaland Dorothy Mabika says there is a need to determine whether the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is failing on its mandate or whether the cases of corruption that are being reported are fake.
According to Mabika, the lack of prosecution in corruption cases is now tarnishing the image of the Second Republic.
Zimbabweans have lost confidence in institutions that were created to tackle corruption as nothing has come out of it.
If anything, corruption has been on an increase in the country with no sign of action being taken.
Most corruption cases that have been brought before courts have all crumbled even though ZACC would have investigated the matters and the country would have been prejudiced.
Speaking in the Senate, Senator Mabika highlighted that only credible clarification of what is happening can help calm people down.
‘’It is evident that ZACC and other anti-corruption institutions in the country have got some limitations in exercising their duties. In the absence of conviction of the corruption agents, there has not been any explanation or release or information on any such limitations.
‘’At least some form of credible explanation would go a little way in calming the people down. At this point, no convictions and no explanation create a sense of acceptability of corruption by the government. This is a fundamental problem.
‘’Whole anti-corruption departments have been in place since soon after His Excellency, the President of the Second Republic of Zimbabwe was inaugurated. To date, according to the views of the people, there is practically no dent that has been put onto the corruption plate. If anything, it is actually growing in their perception.
‘’The question is, what limitations do ZACC and other anti-corruption agents have which could not be solved since 2018? Is it a manpower problem on the part of our investigators? Are the reported cases fake? Is it the judicial system which is slackening after arrests have been made?
‘’Are the cases too complex and long to cause arrest and conviction? Could it be our laws are not watertight enough to cause high-impact implementation? Is it possible that our people are confusing between ethical and corrupt tendencies? What are the real issues making us look like we are failing to overcome this problem?
This failure to conquer corruption or the perception of it in some cases is putting the Second Republic into disrepute and is hurting nationalism, thereby impacting very negatively on all aspects of our economy through both leakage and having a demoralised people, yet the people form the backbone of the country,’’ she said.
