Prosecutor-General admits corruption costs Zimbabwe US$1.8 billion annually
What hurts the most is the fact that the ordinary citizenry is the most affected as a result of corruption.
HARARE – Prosecutor General Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo has sounded the alarm over the crippling effects of corruption in Zimbabwe, revealing that the country is losing a staggering US$1.8 billion annually due to corruption.
Justice Matanda-Moyo, the former head of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, highlighted the devastating impact of illicit financial flows and how they pose a significant threat to the nation’s economic recovery and the attainment of its Vision 2030 development goals.
She added that corruption is severely hindering the government’s ability to fund crucial development initiatives and provide essential public services such as healthcare and education.
“Corruption remains one of the greatest barricades to the resuscitation of an economic thriving Zimbabwe and hinders the process of the attainment of our vision 2030,” the former High Court judge stated.
“So, if we don’t fight corruption, we may not be able to see a successful vision 2030 coming into fruition.
“As a result of these illicit flows, governments are left with little or no financial resources to channel towards development and the provision of basic services such as health and education.”
Justice Matanda-Moyo further stated that the ordinary citizens are the ones suffering from the direct consequences of corruption in Zimbabwe.
“What hurts the most is the fact that the ordinary citizenry is the most affected as a result of corruption,” she stated.
“It is estimated that Zimbabwe, we are losing US$1.8 billion annually due to corruption.
“That is a huge sum of money. Such illicit financial flows are unacceptable and bleed the economy of revenue meant to promote sustainable economic development and the betterment of the livelihoods of all Zimbabweans.
“It is time ladies and gentlemen that we totally eradicate corruption in Zimbabwe and recover stolen assets.”
Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who has consistently highlighted the deterioration of public infrastructure due to government corruption, referenced Justice Matanda-Moyo’s statements, underscoring her acknowledgment of corruption as the root cause of the collapse of public health and education systems.
Chin’ono further illustrated the scale of the financial losses by comparing the estimated US$1.8 billion lost annually to the funding needs of the country’s central hospitals.
He noted that the US$60 million required annually to ensure the smooth operation of all central/referral hospitals could be covered for thirty years with the amount lost to corruption.
He also pointed out that this sum could fund the construction of 1,800 kilometers of tarred roads or build seven advanced central hospitals similar in capacity to existing major institutions.
“US$1.8 billion could build seven central hospitals like Parirenyatwa or Sally Mugabe Hospital with a capacity of 1,800 beds. South Africa is building Tygerberg Central Hospital in the Western Cape for US$260 million. It is way more advanced than Zimbabwean hospitals which were built over decades ago.
“Sally Mugabe Hospital is 117 years old, Parirenyatwa is 72 years old, Mpilo Hospital is 82 years old, UBH is 85 years old, and Ingutsheni is 117 years old.
“Chitungwiza is 42 years old; it was upgraded to a central hospital 18 years ago. These are Zimbabwe’s central/referral hospitals. Zanu-PF has never built a single central hospital from the ground, it only upgraded Chitungwiza.
“This is what corruption has done to Zimbabwe in the words of Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo who heads Zimbabwe’s National Prosecution Service and is the former head of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and was also a High Court Judge,” Chin’ono stated.
In 2020, the Zanu-PF regime arrested Chin’ono after he exposed corruption and constantly called for the respect of human rights.
Two weeks ago, Youth Empowerment Minister Tinoda Machakaire publicly accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration of neglecting significant “realities on the ground.”
Machakaire’s statement, shared on X, followed his personal visit to an unspecified public health facility. He strongly implied a disparity between perceived advancements and the actual experiences of the populace.
Machakaire described observing “deeply moving” circumstances that highlighted the “serious challenges” encountered by numerous Zimbabweans.
He acknowledged the increasing public outcry concerning the healthcare system, asserting that it accurately mirrored the experiences of many citizens.
He stated that he had visited a public health institution that morning to see a relative and had left deeply concerned by the conditions he had witnessed. He noted that what he had seen was deeply moving, clearly indicating that many citizens were facing serious challenges.
He further stated that the growing public outcry over the healthcare system was not an exaggeration but reflected the difficult experiences of many citizens.
