MDC slams Mudede

via MDC slams Mudede – DailyNews Live by Mugove Tafirenyika  17 MARCH 2014 

The MDC has slammed Registrar General (RG) Tobaiwa Mudede for leaving it too late to take a stand against corruption by officials in his office.

Last week, Mudede admitted before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services that there is widespread corruption in his office.

Melusi Matshiya, the permanent secretary in the Home Affairs ministry concurred that graft was the order of the day at the RG’s office.

“We have had serious cases and we decided that it is better to dismiss those found to be corrupt,” Matshiya informed parliamentarians.

However, the labour-backed MDC party believes the problem at the RG’s office is impunity.

Lilian Timveos, the party’s shadow Home Affairs minister told the Daily News yesterday that many Zimbabweans had over the years been denied the right to jobs, write important examinations or participate in national processes such as voting because they could not afford the bribes demanded by Mudede’s officials.

Timveos claimed there were well-documented cases where those caught on the wrong side of the law were merely transferred to other stations with no punishment being given to them.

She said the rot at the RG’s office had become deeply entrenched over a long period of time that it was not sincere on Mudede’s part to be admitting it only now.

Mudede has been Registrar General for the past 34 years.

“Mudede’s belated admission provides no relief to millions of Zimbabweans who have been failing to get official documents from this office for years because of corruption,” said Timveous.

“Many of the people denied documents by these corrupt, bribe-taking officials have lost out on important life opportunities”.

The Midlands Senator expressed shock that Mudede had the audacity to admit his office had been protecting offenders by merely transferring them to other stations instead of bringing them to justice.

She claimed that millions of Zimbabweans were trapped in foreign countries, unable to get jobs or come home because the officials at the RG’s office are demanding hefty bribes before giving them passports and other documents.

“As we have stated before, legal and identity documents are a right for all Zimbabweans, which must be provided by the State. It is the duty of government to stamp out corruption in this department so that all Zimbabweans and foreigners living in our country are properly documented at a minimum cost.”