Zacc needs all our support

23 Aug, 2019 - 00:08 0 Views
Zacc needs all our support Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo

The ManicaPost

Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi Post Correspondent
For the first time in Zimbabwe, we have true leadership at the helm of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. A no nonsense hardworking lady, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo. In Shona they say, “anorova basa sebasa”.

My warning to those who are corrupt is, be very afraid. To those who have criticized her, please give her time and measure her failures when she has failed.

The main factor driving growing corruption in Zimbabwe is greed among those vested with power and position regardless of how high or low the posts they hold.

The motivation for them to get involved in corruption is property and money, so ZACC should ensure that whatever acquisitions made from income of corrupt and abuse of power means will be frozen, and forfeited to the State, and not just by bringing them, to face justice in court.

To ensure the action is more effective, the freezing of properties should be carried out even if the person is just a suspect and the case is still under investigation.

For our legislatures to help Justice Matanda-Moyo to achieve her goal, the laws need to change immediately with stern measures where one’s assets are immediately frozen once one is reported to ZACC.

A typical example is the former Minister Ignatius Chombo whose case is before the courts but is enjoying under circumstances where some of his wealth has been acquired in suspicious circumstances. If  what he allegedly stole was frozen, there is no way he would have been requesting his passport to go to Dubai.

There is now a need to immediately freeze, confiscate and forfeit properties acquired by corrupt practices and abuse of power. This law should be enforced more aggressively to combat corruption in the country. Even those that leave the country should not have access to loot acquired corruptly.

While the case is under investigation, the properties owned by the individual under investigation could be frozen based on various acts. This is because we do not want them to dispose of the properties, so it would be difficult for the authorities to detect them, the better we freeze the property, the further the message will be felt by all would be corrupt elements.

The ZACC Act should allow that the property of a suspect be frozen for up to 90 days with an extension of 12 months more if there are reasonable grounds. If there is a strong criminal case, charges are pressed in court and at the same time the properties should become the subject matter to the charge and if the court decides to forfeit, then the properties of the accused should be forfeited.

Coming back to the topical story, of former minister Prisca Mupfumira, how was she allegedly able to siphon USD$95 million without a single person raising the red flag. ZACC, there is surely a network of thieves who had devised a way to effectively loot our pension funds without leaving any trail. A minister is not an employee of NSSA and neither is the permanent secretary.

So who was giving Mupfumira access to the pension funds?

There is now a need to dig deeper into this rot and get to the bottom of this well-structured corruption network, which I suspect could also be in all parastatals in Zimbabwe.

Once again Kudos to ZACC. Let’s help ZACC to stop the corruption rot that is now part of Zimbabwean culture.

Share This:

Sponsored Links

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds