via Civil Society call for commission of enquiry into corporate corruption | SW Radio Africa by Mthulisi Mathuthu on Friday, February 14, 2014
Civil society groups this week registered their ‘sternest disapproval’ of the breakdown of public accountability and called on the government to urgently set up a commission of enquiry into corporate corruption.
The call was made Thursday by 66 civil society groups, through a joint statement. The commission should investigate ‘obscene salaries’ and other underhand dealings in the local government and public sector, the statement said.
The civil society groups also called on President Robert Mugabe to break his silence on corruption, in which his aides and close allies have been named. The statement, issued after what has been dubbed the biggest civil society gathering to discuss graft, called on Mugabe to deal with corrupt government officials.
Government was also called upon to replace corrupt officials with those whose profiles ‘reflect good corporate governance, professionalism and integrity.’
The statement also called on government to allow Parliament and the anti-corruption commission to ‘perform their role without hindrance.’ Those who participated at the Thursday meeting said public anger was apparent. Speakers expressed disquiet at government attempts to prevent action against corruption.
The call came as government is targeting only peripheral figures. So far only members of the suspended Air Zimbabwe board have been nabbed for corruption while Mugabe’s close allies, who include his spokesman George Charamba, have remained free.
Charamba has been named in the looting of the Premier Service Medical Aid Society where he was paid $100,000 last year for sitting on the board. His membership on that board is said to have been against a government policy on corporate governance, which prohibits permanent secretaries from boards of public entities.
But the government is also steadfastly determined to block free expression against corruption. Ahead of this week’s gathering the police refused civil society groups permission to march against corruption. Then on Thursday WOZA women activists were assaulted as they left Parliament after handing in a petition. On the same day, MPs who were geared-up to discuss graft, were told at the last minute to go home, because the toilets were faulty. Opposition MPs said they saw this as a flimsy excuse to prevent debate on corruption.
ZimRights director, Okay Machisa, said the fact that the police were blocking marches instead of arresting corrupt individuals was an indicator that the government was not serious about tackling graft. Machisa said: Government has so far failed to deal with corruption. There is absolutely no political will and so we need action as civil society and the police must allow us to express ourselves.’
The veteran human rights campaigner warned the public to be wary of ‘political games.’ He said the government is trying to hoodwink people into thinking that it was acting on corruption, when the real culprits remain untouched.
COMMENTS
Stupidity gullible. How can thieves investigate criminals. Just line the person up against the wall for target practice
Woza, I salute you.
No problem this corrupt regime can hide as much as it wants but the great people of Zimbabwe must continue to expose this rabble of cows dung to the whole world. They cant escape us anymore. PASI NE ZANU.
By calling upon government to set up a commission of enquiry these people are saying Mugabe should investigate what he already knows. As a maatter of fact, he might even do what he did during Gukurahundi – set up a commission of enquiry and keep the report under wraps. And guess what, he might even do it so as to create another platform for plunder. Remember how Chombo’s commissioners earn mouth watering sums of money.
People need to accept the fact that Mugabe and Grace are the main culprits in this whole saga. Remember how Grace plundered the civil servants housing fund of millions even though she wasn’t a participant to the scheme. She has also been named in numerous other corrupt deals.
Mugabe himself has been shamelessly stealing from state coffers. When his office is allocated an amount equivalent to that of 5 key ministries that is theft by an office that’s never audited.
People
Ruu, thank you. We are sleep walking into a Mugabe trap again. He will just say’I here your call . I am setting up the commission as you the people requested ‘. Thats it, end of story. These leaders of civic society we here about who are they?
Another group of zanu clones. Idiots.
The ZRP is biased so is the prosecuting authorities so who will lead fully exposing & bringing to book these criminals? A board of enquiry comprising independent individuals from civil society among others may possibly the only way to go. We can do our part by insisting that we will accept no less than this route.
The entire system is rotten so there is no clean organisation which can investigate this looting with credibility.If our government is serious in stopping this looting and corruption it could ask for outside help like the UN experts to investigate this and come out with recommendation.This will not happen because high ranking politicians are behind this treasonous looting.
We have too many useless so-called civil societies which achieve zero results for the public.Most of these societies are just formed to enrich the naive and selfish individuals through cheating the unsuspecting donors.The donors should wake up and stop finding these wolves dressed in sheep skins.Only WOZA is the most effective civil society with strong principles.
Ruramai couldn’t have said it any better. The fingered officials ar just pawns. The real culprits ar ministers headed by mugabe. Mugabe knows dealing w corruption will expose himself. How can u say Mugabe can deal w corruption yet he is benefiting a lot from it. Take for instance e case of Shava. He left cabinet in shame after e Willogate scandal bt he is now an ambassador to China. Once u become a criminal u bcome Mugabe’s trusted lieutenant cos he knows u can’t ditch him. If u attempt he will remind of yo past and e consequences ende once adaro u can’t do anything except sing his praise. Appealing to Mugabe to deal w corruption is akin to appeal to satan to deal w his devils for e sins they’re committing. Plus these CSO ar a prblm as well, the situation in Zim doesn’t need meetings, conferencing or smart ways to deal w zpf. We want a leadership that is defiant like WOZA
A commision of enquiry into what is already in the public sphere is another scam to enrich those who pretend to be holy when we know non are.
Why misdirect our effort. Get rid of zanu pf and its acolytes, then set a board of enqury then we will give the findings some measure of respect. As long as the looting lot wields power, no investigation will produce tangible results.
Talk of woza! What have they achieved? Nothing. This publicity and self seeking little group of noisy women! Why dont they combine forces with other civic groups and demonstrate on core issues?
At least these women have the courage to voice & demonstrate against what feel are injustices Mutakura. They are real heroes for being an example of what all right thinking Zimbabweans should be doing. What have you done?