Bring back the Leadership Code

Source: Bring back the Leadership Code – DailyNews Live

12 July 2017

HARARE – Former Cabinet minister and Zimbabwe People First elder, Didymus
Mutasa, made startling revelations this week which give some insights into
the rot that has crept into our body politic.

Mutasa boldly claimed that “he is not rich because unlike others, I did
not even steal a penny when I left government and all that I was supposed
to leave behind was properly accounted for”.

The fact that this is coming from Mutasa, who was the most powerful
minister in President Robert Mugabe’s Cabinet at some point –
superintending over three ministries, including that of State Security –
is an indictment on the country’s leadership.

After realising that its officials were getting corrupt, the Chinese
Communist Party (CPC) issued a code of ethics to ensure clean practices
and prevent corruption.

The guideline specified 52 unacceptable practices with respect to CPC
leaders and cadres of various levels, including accepting cash or
financial instruments as gifts, and using their influence to benefit their
spouses, children or “special concerned persons” with regards to their
employment, stock trading or business.

CPC leaders were not allowed to engage in for-profit activities, such as
establishing enterprises, registering firms outside the Chinese mainland,
owning stocks or bonds of non-listed companies, or taking part-time jobs
in enterprises or social organisations.

Those who violated the rules would be disciplined and could also be
charged with violating criminal laws.

Zanu PF idolises China and we believe that Mugabe’s party should take a
leaf from its “all-weather friend” to nip corruption in the bud.

The party does not even need to re-invent the wheel. It simply must go
into its archives and pull the Leadership Code adopted by the party at the
Second People’s Congress of August 8-13, 1984, which enjoined its
leadership to shun corruption “as an evil disease destructive of society”.

That code decreed that its leaders were not to accept or obtain from any
person or for any other person a gift or consideration as inducement for
doing any act in relation to party or government business.

It also prohibited its official from giving or offer a gift to any person
as an inducement to that other person; or secretly obtaining consideration
for himself/herself or for another person or fail to disclose the full
nature of the transaction to the party or government or decline to
disclose personal financial affairs or other assets to a properly
constituted party or government body of officials investigating
corruption.

Mutasa remarks, wittingly or unwittingly, indicate that occupying public
office has become an express ticket for politicians in Zanu PF to get rich
quick.

Despite the poor salaries in the civil service, it is puzzling that most
Zanu PF politicians rank among the richest people in the country even when
they do not own a single business.

It is clear that public office is being used to provide the leverage to
get kickbacks, facilitate deals and accessing inputs.

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