Corruption a cancer against national vision: Chadzamira

Anymore Magawa

The Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Ezra Ruvai Chadzamira has spoken against corruption saying the vice was a cancer gnawing away at the national vision of development and clean governance.

Addressing people at the stakeholder consultative meeting on the national anti-corruption strategy held last week, Chadzamira said people must be guided by integrity and honesty in all their dealings.

“I urge all corruption perpetrators to stop their behavior because corruption is an enemy to national development and the attainment of our national vision of being the upper-middle income economy by 2030.

“Ending corruption begins with us and we are obliged to keep and sustain the moral campus of our life which is immune to the cancer of corruption. We must uphold the founding principle of Africa which are embedded in the values of Ubuntu whereby an individual is an expression of bigger corrupt-free society,” said Chadzamira.

He also said traditional leaders like chiefs must play a more influential role in fighting corruption as many people looked up to them for guidance.

“Our solution against corruption should be hinged on traditional ways provided by the traditional chiefs who are custodians of our values, customs and culture. They can play a more pronounced role in preserving, promoting and safeguarding transparency, accountability and professional ethics as a founding system of public sector management provided in the Constitution.

“Their duty is to denounce, expose and report name and shame all forms of corruption whenever and wherever they happen,” Chadzamira said.

Speaking at the same event, Mabel Takaripa Hungwe, who is a commissioner with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), encouraged stakeholders to accommodate diversity of ideas so as to come up with an effective national strategy.

She also encouraged all citizens to stay away from any corruption related behavior and to report and expose corruption issues that might emanate from their areas.

“All citizens must work to curb corruption which tends to further individual interests at the expense of many people,” Hungwe said.

Many participants, however, said the anti-corruption drive in the country was targeting only small fish while the wealthy and well-connected political elite remained immune.

Resolutions made at the meeting included protection of whistle blowers, strong policy or legislation to deal with anyone found engaging in corrupt dealings, the need for Zacc to collaborate with other institutions and the need to have forensic laboratories for investigations.