Mabvuku-Tafara launches anti-graft campaign

via Mabvuku-Tafara launches anti-graft campaign – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 30, 2015

COMMUNITY members in Mabvuku-Tafara constituency last Friday launched their unique anti-corruption campaign dubbed Act Now Against Corruption where they vowed to demand accountability and transparency from all service providers including government and the local authority.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Mabvuku-Tafara MP James Maridadi said the community initiative came about as a result of corruption among public officials.

“There are many stakeholders and institutions that have been set up to fight corruption, and what we are saying is that as Mabvuku community, we are going to create synergies with those groups that have been set up to fight corruption in order to stamp it out,” Maridadi said.

“We want to highlight corruption issues that affect us as the Mabvuku-Tafara community and as Zimbabweans so that we try to fight it to ensure there is service delivery,” he said.

Guest of honour and Transparency International board member Tinashe Chatira said corruption hindered economic progress and made people poor. She urged citizens to stop paying bribes to service institutions like the police, the Vehicle Inspection Department and others.

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association projects officer Mukasiri Sibanda said it was high time communities demanded accountability for natural resources extracted from their area.

Lorraine Marima, a projects officer with Chiadzwa Community Development Trust, said there was need to monitor government borrowing so that the borrowed money was properly accounted for.

“There is need for social audits so that communities are able to question politicians on whether they fulfilled their election promises. Information flow within communities is also imperative, especially use of social media platforms to disseminate information to fight corruption and demand accountability,” Marima said.

Danai Mabutho, an official from Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre, said service deprivation such as lack of water, other services like refuse collection and good roads in Mabvuku-Tafara could be attributed to corruption.
“There is corruption at churches, hospitals, housing cooperatives and even schools and it is important for people to report all forms of corruption,” Mabutho said.

She said people must be free to whistle-blow on acts of corruption to anti-corruption organisations and their local MPs because whistleblowers were protected by the Privileges and Immunities Act.