Anti-corruption body rattles government

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

Presidential spokesperson and information portfolio secretary, George Charamba, on Monday fumed over a sting operation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) that is targeting parastatals and local authorities.

Charamba accused the commission of behaving like a rattlesnake following media revelations in the State media on Sunday that arrests of bigwigs loomed over rampant graft in public institutions.

He blamed ZACC for circumventing government in its operations, but the constitution empowers the commission to act independently.

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), a government mouthpiece that Charamba presides over, is among the institutions being investigated.

He insinuated that ZACC had leaked its investigations to the media.

“The Anti-Corruption (Commission) cannot behave as if there are no systems in government unless they are impugning the Government system,” he said.

“They cannot behave like a rattlesnake which makes a lot of noise before striking. I really wished they knew the kind of chaos they triggered in Government with the stories they planted through the national press,” said Charamba.

He added: “There must be a way of approaching issues of concern professionally, establish prima facie case and then only approach the media when investigations conclude otherwise their motives become questionable.”

Charamba said ZACC must have first approached the relevant ministries under which the parastatals fall and was bitter that the commission’s probe also named government secretaries.

The fingered permanent secretaries are Grace Mutandi (Lands and Resettlement), Munesu Munodawafa (Transport), George Mlilo (Local Government), Willard Manungo (Finance), Evelyn Ndlovu (Small and Medium Enterprises) and Sam Kundishora (ICT).

It was reported that arrests of the named officials was imminent, and these also include the ZBC acting chief executive officer, Patrick Mavhura who the commission says flouted tender procedures in the procurement of vehicles for the broadcaster.

Karikoga Kaseke, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) CEO, Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) acting CEO, Moses Juma and NetOne acting managing director, Brian Mutandiro, are among the prime targets as well.

Wicknell Chivayo, a convicted fraudster who heads Intratek, the company that won a controversial multi-million tender at the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is likely to be hauled over the coals if the investigations are not stopped.

Other prominent individuals under investigation are David Chawota, the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe boss, the Premier Medical Aid Society managing director, Tendai Kapumha and Phillip Chiyangwa, the Zifa chair and owner of Pinnacle Holdings.

Charamba defended the ZBC procurement of 35 operational vehicles in which he was involved.

“As it emerges in the case of ZBC we had long dealt with that matter at the instance of the OPC (Office of President and Cabinet) following a false whistleblower. As it turns out this was a bad guy trying to attack the integrity of the acting chief executive and unbeknown to him everything around the purchasing of the vehicles was done above board,” he said.

ZACC investigators were accused of acting on weak evidence amid revelations that the OPC was heavily involved in most of the procurements.

Reports from the government controlled media muddied the ZACC investigating officer, Servious Kufandada, accusing him of having a “tainted past as he stands accused of working with opposition political parties during the run up to the 2013 elections.”

ZACC officials have been arrested in the past for investigating cabinet ministers, among them Saviour Kasukuwere who now heads local government ministry, and Igntatius Chombo who currently holds the Home Affairs portfolio.

Powerful politicians are suspected to be actively involved in public sector graft in a country ranked one of the most corrupt globally.

Charamba said by “planting” stories before investigating, some ZACC officials wanted to cause chaos in government. Nehanda Radio