Harare, (New Ziana) – Commissioners in the Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission (ZICC) must uphold the values of integrity, transparency and good governance within the organisation as they investigate complaints against members of the security services.
The commission’s chairperson, Justice Webster Chinamhora (Retired), said this at a signing ceremony of Integrity Pledges by its senior leadership on Tuesday. Members of the commission were appointed by President Mnangagwa in September last year after the enactment of the ZICC Act in 2022 as part of the country’s broader strategy to promote effective and accountable systems in the security sector.
“This is a historic integrity pledge signing ceremony – a solemn, yet empowering reaffirmation of our collective moral, legal, and institutional obligation to uphold the values of integrity, transparency, and good governance within the ZICC. We are not merely signing documents, but we are engraving a solemn declaration of ethical and constitutional allegiance. “
We must therefore measure our progress not merely by the volume of reports we publish or the resolutions we adopt, but by the steadfastness of our ethical compass and the resilience of our collective conscience. The act of pledging is both symbolic and substantive. It is an oath to oneself, to the institution, to the people of Zimbabwe, and to posterity.
“As the chairperson of ZICC, I embrace this moment as a profound recommitment to our constitutional mandate under section 210 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which entrusts us with investigating complaints against members of the security services and ensuring remedies for harm caused,” Justice Chinamhora (Rtd) said.
He implored the ZICC senior leaders to shun corruption and stick to their mandate in order to gain public trust as well as be enablers as Zimbabwe aims to achieve the Vision 2030 goals.
The ZICC chairperson said: “Corruption, in all its insidious forms, is not only a governance deficit. It is a human rights violation, denies the citizen fair access to justice, dilutes institutional legitimacy, and erodes public trust. Our National Development Strategy-1 (NDS1) identifies strong institutions and good governance as critical enablers of Vision 2030. There can be no Vision 2030 without ethical visionaries to carry it forward. ZICC must be the lodestar of that ethical leadership. “
This pledge binds us not only legally but morally. It is a covenant with our highest ideals, a declaration that ZICC will not be just an oversight body, but a fortress of ethical resistance against impunity and institutional decay. At ZICC, we do not merely demand accountability from others—we demand it from ourselves first.
This pledge is therefore a declaration of internal vigilance.” Speaking at the same ceremony, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) prevention and corporate governance Commissioner Chido Madiwa said it was taking the lead in championing the concept of inculcating integrity in the public and private sector as a strategy to groom virtuous officials who can serve their country with integrity.
She added that the signing of integrity pledges by ZICC commissioners speaks to dedication to the principles of transparency, accountability and ethical conduct that form the bedrock of the achievement of zero tolerance to corruption.
“Integrity is the foundation upon which all effective public service rests. This principle is critical in the investigation of complaints from members of the public about any misconduct on the part of members of the security service and for remedying any harm caused by such misconduct.
“The ZACC believes that corruption in public institutions, more so, those in the complaints handling system, is a poison that undermines the foundations of economic growth, development, social progress and highest level of betrayal of the public trust. We are glad that the ZICC does not condone corruption, fully cooperates with investigations and today’s move to embrace integrity as an institutional virtue speaks to the character and commitment of the organisation,” she said.
She also implored ZICC to consider establishing a dedicated integrity committee as a permanent institutional mechanism for promoting, monitoring, and supporting ethical behaviour throughout the organisation.
Organisations that are regarded as the security services include the defence, prisons, police, and intelligence services, and any other security service established by law. ZICC’s tasks include investigating complaints of misconduct by security services, facilitating redress, and recommending prosecution or administrative remedies.
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