What is disemboweling the economy?
Does this body act on those who, now
and then, play their selfish, sickening
and crooked games with the economy?
For it claims that it takes action against
corruption to promote transparency,
integrity and accountability for the good
of society, economic growth and national
prosperity. It seeks to combat all types
of corruption before they spread. Great
on paper, in principle— in practice…ouch!
Among other goals, it seeks to eliminate
the effects of corruption and preserve
national resources. What’s the name
of this noble body that seeks to do
all this superb work of ensuring there
is transparency, accountability and
that public administration complies
with the principles of good governance,
standards of quality, equal opportunities
and merit? It is none other than….
the shocking Zimbabwe Anti-corruption
Commission! Or maybe not that shocking.
The results of a 2000 survey commissioned
by Transparency International Zimbabwe
found that the citizens considered the public
sector as the most corrupt area, and in 2008
that organisation’s director declared that Zim
was losing US$ 5 million to sleaze every day.
On the same organisation’s 2022 Corruption
Perceptions Index, Zim ranked 157th among
the 180 countries in the index. Not shocking.
Zimbabwean authorities and corruption
are a deeply convoluted, cemented band.
Looks like it is much easier to extract
water from a stone than to separate the two.
One does not need to look any further than
Al Jazeera’s four-part documentary titled
The Gold Mafia to realise the gravity of this
syndrome amid government’s devious pranks.
Is the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission
aware of the high-level gold-smuggling deeds?
Or is this question a waste of breath and time
like asking the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission:
Where were you when vote-rigging ensued and won?
The two seem to be comfy in the same WhatsApp group.
So much for integrity, accountability and transparency!
Here is an anti-corruption commission that spends …
US33, 3 million to fight corruption, but without
a single conviction? Is it not cheaper and better
to decommission the commission altogether?
