I don’t condone graft — Mujuru

By Lloyd Mbiba

HARARE – Vice President Joice Mujuru said yesterday she does not condone corruption, blasting the rampant graft in farm allocations.

“VaMugabe (Robert) nesu tese hatisi kukurudzira nyaya dzeuori. Tiri kuwona kubvarurwa kuri kuitwa chimiro chedu cheZimbabwe. Tanzwa vamwe venyu vari kufamba vasingetevedzeri gwara rekupa minda zvakanaka (President Mugabe and all of us do not condone corruption. It is denting our image as Zimbabwe.

There is corruption in land allocations),” Mujuru said, as she presided over the handover of the refurbished homes at the Harare Central Hospital School of Nursing by Mimosa Mining Company.

Mujuru courted a storm this week when she declared that the media must stop covering the obscene salaries of managers of State-owned firms pocketing millions of dollars in pay while the economy stutters.

However, the vice president quickly distanced herself from the statement arguing that she was misquoted.

Mujuru commended Mimosa Mining Company for renovating nurses’ accommodation and lecture rooms at the hospital.

“I am informed that through the company’s health and safety programme, dubbed Let’s Go Zero, Mimosa has also entered into partnership with the National Aids Council for a mutually beneficial initiative aimed at reducing the devastating effects of the HIV and Aids in Zvishavane and in the country at large,” Mujuru said.

The mining company renovated 450 hostel rooms, 92 bathrooms and two lecture rooms at the hospital.

On top of that, the mine built a gym and a modern recreational facility for the nurses.

The vice president said companies should give back to the community as this will contribute a lot in fulfilling the government’s economic blueprint, Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset).

“People are asking how ZimAsset will succeed without a budget,” Mujuru said.

“The key is that companies and individuals should come to the government with programmes that they want to fulfil for the community.

“Look at what Mimosa has done. The refurbishment of this facility is in line with the thrust of the Social Services and Poverty Eradication cluster of ZimAsset.”

She said that public-private partnership was needed in order to make ZimAsset a success.

“Ladies and gentlemen, government has made strides in education and also training of professionals to reduce the impact of brain drain.

“Consequently, it remains for us, government and private sector, to create employment opportunities in order to attract and harness skills for the development of our country,” she said.

Walter Chidhakwa, Mines and Mining Development minister, who also attended the function, urged other mining companies to emulate Mimosa and give back to the community. Daily News