via Corruption exposed at Anti-Corruption Commission – Nehanda Radio Feb 27, 2014 By Tererai Karimakwenda
Commissioners at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) have ironically been accused of being corrupt themselves, after it was revealed that their term of office expired in August last year but they were still receiving salaries and spending a fortune hiring government cars.
Only one of the nine commissioners, Chairperson Denford Chirindo, is still legally employed by the anti-graft body after their statutory two-year term expired on August 31st.
According to the state-run Herald newspaper, only one of the nine commissioners, Chairperson Denford Chirindo, is still legally employed by the anti-graft body after their statutory two-year term expired on August 31st.
This means commissioners have done no work for nearly six months, while collecting salaries. The Herald said almost $457,000 was owed to the CMED for vehicles hired by commissioners as of mid-December, 2013.
The Salary Services Bureau (SSB) had actually stopped paying the commissioners when their term of office ended. But they were directed to continue payments by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Melusi Matshiya, who reportedly insisted the commissioners’ term had been extended.
The Herald said Matshiya has even ignored letters from Chairperson Denford Chirindo, pleading with him to urgently make the legalities of the situation clear, to be careful not to waste public funds and “avoid financial misconduct as defined by the Public Finance Management Act”.
Matshiya was also warned by Chirindo in writing about the growing bill for hired vehicles. In a letter dated 13th December 2013, Chirindo advised the Home Affairs secretary that the CMED had threatened to cut off hire services for commissioners unless bills were paid.
“Please note that this happened at a time the commission had no fuel for operations or for staff to move from point A to point B and staff were working half a day because the commission had no money to purchase a borehole pump and commission toilets were dysfunctional,” Chirindo wrote.
Casper Takura, former councillor for Mabvuku/Tafara, described the development as “ridiculous”, saying it is unfortunate that those who are supposed to monitor corruption are engaging in the same acts with impunity.
“So the question becomes who is now going to police the police, especially when the police are engaging in bad behaviour. This greed has engulfed the whole country and it is a shame because it involves those at the top who should be monitoring what is happening,” Takura told SW Radio Africa.
The former Councillor pointed to the recent exposure of exorbitant salaries that were being paid to senior staff at the Harare City Council, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Services (ZBC), the Premier Medical Aid Society (PMAS) and other parastatals that are in debt.
“The major problem is that of accountability. There is no-one holding these people to account and only when the people demand that they account for their actions will this come to an end.” SW Radio Africa
COMMENTS
Then, which parastatal is free from graft virus. Anticorruption parastatal is shameful. People looked up to it to send all graft criminals to jail. Shame on you anti-corruption people. You have soiled yourself badly.
Apolitical believes all these corrupt institutions are a product of MDC.
Its unbelievable that some people will defend the undefendable. Zanu is now beyond defending. These are day light thieves. They have no shame. If you tell Mugabe not to travel because the state is broke, he will claim his T and Sof $500000 and travel ,no shame at all.
Kutofara ,hanzi ndikokutonga uku. The whole lot must vamoose. LETS STOP BUYING THEIR PRODUCE . PASSIVE RESISTANCE IS WHAT WE CAN DO . ITS THE ONLY WEAPON WE CAN USE.
Now this is happening. WHEN WILL IT END.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has always been a sham. It has only served up small fish or occasionally been used as a way to punish those that have fallen out of favor.
MASHONA, MASHONA MUNENI! AS LONG AS ALL PARASTATALS ARE HEADED BY THIS CORRUPT TRIBE ZIMBABWE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE!
so where are we heading to if the anti-coruption commisioners are corrupt themselves.But all in all this should start with the government itself is corrupt.The president should have taken a swift stance to stop this cancerous and deadly desease called corruption.Why ? Because beside that it is killing the masses its also strandles the performance of his government. the zim curruption is smelling as far as south africa l wonder how Mugabe and other officials who profess to have clean hands still live confortable in the with rotten bag potatos why cant they act once and clean the house, oh zimbabwe zimbabwe my mother land !!!!!