Govt insincere, incapable of fighting graft

The fight against corruption seemed to have gained pace in recent weeks, but it has been revealed to be nothing more than a façade and – dare we say – a political point-scoring exercise, whose objective is anything, but fighting graft.

Source: Govt insincere, incapable of fighting graft – NewsDay Zimbabwe November 25, 2016

Comment: NewsDay Editor

Revelations in yesterday’s NewsDay show, beyond any reasonable doubt, that this government is both insincere and incapable of fighting graft, and the noises about combating the vice are an elaborate smokescreen.

As the adage says – charity begins at home – if President Robert Mugabe was serious about combating corruption, then he should have ensured that nothing of that sort was happening in his backyard.

But revelations that Mugabe’s own ministers, one of them his own nephew, were beneficiaries of alleged graft, betrays a shocking unwillingness to fight corruption.

The director of State residences is also implicated, meaning the highest bureaucrats in the land are being caught with their hands in the till and if Mugabe was serious about fighting corruption, then surely he has an easy starting point.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) should be by now all over this case of people getting land improperly, but they are mute, as if waiting for instruction from someone and this puts their so-called independence into question.

Speaking of Zacc, disclosures that one of its commissioners, Goodson Nguni, is a wanted man in South Africa are quite nauseating and reveal that the body is compromised and lacks integrity.

The crime Nguni is accused of occurred a long time ago and he has had ample time to clear his name, but instead he has chosen not to by not going to court in South Africa.

It is important to note that he has not been convicted, but if he was innocent, then his name would have been cleared by now.

Nguni’s appointment, as one of the commissioners, diminishes Zacc’s status and calls into question their investigations.

Nguni can turn out to be one of the finest commissioners, but the warrant of arrest issued against him will always be a monkey on his back and shall see most of his decisions questioned and second-guessed.

Until he has cleared his name, Nguni has no business being one of the commissioners and if he is a man of honour, he would do the honourable thing and resign.

The appointment also says a lot about Mugabe and his willingness to fight a scourge that is responsible for the country’s demise.

Zacc needs commissioners of good standing and in light of these revelations, in the court of public opinion, Nguni may not be the right person for the job.