Fight corruption to spur growth — Australian envoy

via Fight corruption to spur growth — Australian envoy – DailyNews Live 16 February 2015 by Letwin Nyambayo

BULAWAYO – Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Matthew Neuhaus has blamed corruption in the country for throttling economic progress saying it should be curbed in order to inject new impetus to spur development.

“Corruption is a problem, it is unacceptable. I read last year about parastatal bosses looting government monies. Why have they not been sent to jail and why haven’t they paid back the money?” he asked.

Last year, public opinion veered between scorn and outrage over media revelations which fingered a number of parastatal bosses’ scandalous salaries when the majority of Zimbabweans are impoverished.

Neuhaus told the Daily News after officiating at a ceremony to donate

$17 447 towards a Bulawayo Public Library project that Zimbabwe had a bright future which lay in the young people.

Local Zimbabweans should encourage Zimbabweans who are in the Diaspora to return home and develop the country, Neuhaus said “Zimbabweans are industrious and should be given the full opportunity to education.

“Many educated young Zimbabweans are working on our Australian stock market and in other countries and are doing very well. These Zimbabweans should be encouraged to work in their own country and develop it,” he said.

Zimbabweans have fled abroad in droves in search of better opportunities due to the worsening economic situation and are instead working hard to develop other countries.

Neuhaus said Zimbabwe is a rich country and should utilise its own resources for development.

“Zimbabwe has come a long way in terms of development and only needs to exploit its resources properly to meet the target. The important thing is that you have resources. Once stability, investment and peace are there, development is certain,” the Australian diplomat said.

He said he agreed with President Robert Mugabe when he says Africans should use their own resources.

“Africa must use its own resources; Australia also uses its own resources for development. If there is no money in the country, government can borrow and make sure they use it only for development not for the elite’s personal use,’ he said.

Bulawayo Public Library chairperson Joseph Sigoba expressed gratitude for the donations from the Australian Embassy which enabled  them to give the library a face-lift and a remodelling of the children’s library.

“We are grateful that the embassy accepted our proposal and agreed to fund this project. The money covered the refurbishing of the children’s library corner which was now dilapidated and the purchase of children’s books and other significant things that will go a long way in lifting the image of this library and assisting Bulawayo children,” Sigoba said.

He said the library needed support as a community institution which exists to serve the community. For its survival it requires support from similar organisations, agencies and the corporate world.

“We appeal for more support in order to improve our services and would like to encourage parents, teachers and children and all members of the community of Bulawayo to join the library in their numbers as we have all seen what this library has to offer,’ he said.

The Bulawayo Library is a private voluntary organisation which is 199 years old having been established in 1896.

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