Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Blessings Chidakwa, Herald Reporter
Corruption is rife in councils, especially in urban local authorities, compromising service delivery.
On 10 May, President Mnangagwa appointed a Commission of Inquiry into the governance of Harare City Council, which has so far unearthed swathes of corrupt dealings along with incompetence and failure to address service delivery issues.
The commission, chaired by retired High Court judge, Justice Maphios Cheda, has until December to complete its work which encompasses investigating financial management systems and audit compliance with the Public Finance Management Act and other laws.
Speaking at the signing of integrity pledges by Local Government and Public Works Ministry senior officials led by Minister Daniel Garwe in Harare yesterday, Mr Reza said corruption was rife among public officials.
“In the year 2023, ZACC received 999 reports. It was disheartening to discover that reports against public officials accounted for 56 percent of the cases, that is 559 reports received against public officials.
“Of those, 109 were against public officials in local authorities and 22 against Ministry of Local Government and Public Works officials. That is a whopping 13,11 percent,” he said.
While council officials are on a looting spree, service delivery has been deteriorating to unprecedented levels characterised by water woes, uncollected garbage, potholed roads, dysfunctional street lights and haphazard settlements.
Mr Reza said while the statistics are disheartening, local authorities have taken the initiative to rid themselves of the rot.
“Through collaborative efforts, the commission has facilitated the establishment of integrity committees in the majority of local authorities here in Zimbabwe. The commission has also administered the signing of integrity pledges by councillors and council employees.”
Mr Reza said these statistics are an outcome of the effective application of anti-corruption strategies imparted to local authorities by ZACC. So far 84 local authorities have established integrity committees and the majority of employees at these local authorities have signed the integrity pledge.
“We consider this to be a bold anti-corruption statement by the Ministry, in line with the Government of Zimbabwe’s zero tolerance to corruption,” he said.
Mr Reza said ZACC continues to strengthen the integrity committees within local authorities as it is currently conducting integrity committee action plan capacitation programmes which focus on the training of integrity committee members.
Among the plans is to oversee the operationalisation of the committee to enhance the integrity, transparency, accountability, efficient and effective operation of councils in executing their key functions of revenue collection and general service delivery.
“I am delighted to note that, through their respective integrity committee recommendations, several local authorities have since intensified the adoption and installation of e-governance and electronic systems in land management, procurement and revenue collection,” Mr Reza said. ZACC, he said, will leverage its constitutional and statutory investigative mandate and powers to swiftly attend to any allegations of corruption or misconduct within local authorities.
“We will work closely with your offices to proactively detect and deter corrupt practices, sending a clear message that graft is not tolerated at any level of Government,” Mr Reza said.
Speaking on the integrity pledges, Minister Garwe said the ministry had taken a huge step towards the attainment of Vision 2030 by promoting integrity, thereby fighting against corruption.
“We are not only witnessing the signing of the integrity pledge but the launch of the Ministerial Integrity Committee made up of men and women of upright morality,” he said.
Minister Garwe urged his officers to embrace the integrity committee with utmost sincerity and dedication.
“Corruption is so cancerous and has become the number one enemy hindering all developmental efforts and promoting poor service delivery to citizens, as we strive towards the ambitious goals outlined in Vision 2030.
“Integrity stands as the cornerstone upon which our success will be built. Integrity is not merely a virtue, it is a guiding principle that must permeate every decision we make, every action we take, and every interaction we have,” he said.
“As senior public servants entrusted with the task of steering our country towards a brighter future, we must lead by example. Our integrity must be unassailable, our commitment unwavering, and our dedication resolute.”
Minister Garwe said the integrity committee will undergo a training programme conducted by ZACC on the mandate and the guiding principles to equip the team with the necessary competencies for their operations.
“As the team operates, please give them the space, give them the necessary support. The signing of the integrity pledge will not only be done at head office by senior managers but by all staff members in my ministry, meaning it shall be cascaded down to the provinces and district offices,” he said.
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