Corruption: ZACC boss vows to tighten screws on parastatals

By Fani Mapfumo

The new Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson Loice Matanda Moyo has declared war on corruption in the state enterprises saying all who will be found gulty will be prosecuted.

Speaking to the media on Thursday Matanda Moyo her commission will investigate all the cases raised in Auditor general Mildred Chiri’s reports.

“On the basis of the report of the Auditor-General of Zimbabwe, ZACC has opened active investigations in respect of all ministries, government departments, State Enterprises and Parastatals implicated in the report with a view to bringing to book, all those implicated in any and all acts of corruption, theft, misappropriation, abuse of power and other improper conduct,” she said.

“As ZACC we have also noted that Ministries that have an oversight role on State Enterprises and Parastatals are a cause for concern. The government needs to urgently review the powers of Ministries over State Enterprises and Parastatals under their purview to stem out this culture of looting in these State Enterprises and Parastatal by parent Ministries,” said Matanda Moyo

She further alluded that acting on the information in the Auditor-General’s (AG) report the commission has begun to investigate all government bodies and state owned companies to come to the root cause of anomalies that where noted in the report.

The AG report which was released last week showed that most of government owned companies, ministries and state enterprises where not performing in their full capacity due to serious corrupt activities therefore ZACC will start prosecuting all perpetrators.

“I wish to assure the public that those who had attempted to defeat the course of justice have been dealt with and have subsequently released the documentary evidence needed for investigations.

“Let everyone be warned that ZACC will not hesitate to do all in its power to ensure that every case is investigated diligently without fear or favour. ZACC will in future prefer charges of obstructing the course of justice to anyone interfering with investigations,” she said.

To show deep concern of their work recently ZACC arrested Zinara Finance Director Simon Taranhike for criminal abuse of office and for attempting to conceal corruption charges.

The reports from AG’s report and the sudden turn by the ZACC concurs with the investigations which were done by Zim Morning Post in the last four months which exposed corrupt activities in various government institutions.

The investigations by Zim Morning Post exposed corruption at the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara), the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) scandals as well as the rot at the Air Zimbabwe, among many other investigations. Zimmorningpost