CORRUPTION has been singled out as a pandemic that erodes socio-economic
development, deprives society of equity and is a disease whose prevalence affects
even the rural folk across the countryside.
While it divides classes and attacks the social fibre, corruption also affects political
beliefs and the will of citizens, equally diminishing public trust of officials.
Corruption is also responsible for lack of adequate health delivery services including
availability of medical drugs, purchase of essential medical equipment and in local
authorities, simple adherence to official housing waiting lists, stands or distribution of
municipal houses.
Related examples were outlined during the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission
workshop held in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Provincial capital last week.
The workshop, part of a rural anti-corruption campaign, was held at Garanyemba,
where Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commissioner Gabriel Chaibva delivered a
keynote address.
He said the rural populace might be quiet but witness improper disbursement of
devolution funds, unfair land distribution, corrupt demand of foreign currency for
Government programmes and exorbitant charges in services such as dip-tanks and
tax levies, among other things.
Chaibva said Matabeleland South is endowed with natural resources like minerals,
wildlife, agriculture, rivers and its geographical location adjacent to border posts at
Mulambaphele, Beitbridge and Plumtree makes it vulnerable to smuggling, refugee
movement and people involved in numerous illicit deals that make up corruption.
"Realising that people in rural areas are perpetrators and also swallowing the hard-
pill of corruption, we have launched this campaign in all the eight rural provinces. We
want to ensure that campaigns are held in districts to ensure that no one is left
behind.
“Incidents of cattle rustling are rampant in this region, and it is these corrupt people
whom we want to dismantle and destroy and eventually end this vice.
To curb this (corruption) traditional leaders, church leaders, civil servants and non-
governmental organisations should protect the country from these greedy and
corrupt personnel. This drive seeks to empower and open up people’s eyes to
ensure that corruption comes to an end," said Chaibva.
Recently, hundreds of policemen based at Beitbridge were transferred following the
arrest of key operatives in a car smuggling syndicate that may have cost the
Government millions of dollars in Customs and Excise duty and related taxes.
The police officers reportedly worked with some villagers to drive cars across the
Limpopo River in what was perhaps the worst case of vehicle smuggling ever
reported in the region.
Top of the range vehicles, including Toyota Fortuner cars, Toyota Double Cabs,
Mercedes Benz and BMW luxury cars are among the vehicles known to have been
smuggled and subsequently sold in Mozambique, while others are said to have been
sold to foreign nationals in Zimbabwe.
Villagers were, in some cases, hired to use their donkeys to pull the vehicles across
the river after the cars became stuck. As evidence of the racket, a car remains stuck
in the Limpopo River bed, where Zimbabwean and South African officials are locked
in a dispute as to which officials should retrieve the car, which is more on the
Zimbabwean side of the physical boundary of the Limpopo River.
Some villagers have also been active in human and cigarettes smuggling in
Matabeleland South, where a family of foreign origins was reportedly kidnapped near
Malala in Beitbridge and smuggled into South Africa.
Several other illicit activities have been reported in wildlife sanctuaries and the
Bubye Valley Conservancy, where the Government runs a Black Rhino breeding
project, which has been a target of commercial poaching.
Thefts from tourists by people working in cahoots with officials have been reported at
Beitbridge and other ports of entry in Matabeleland South.
The Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution,
Abedinico Ncube also weighed in saying that corruption has retarded the socio-
economic development of the country.
"Our province has thriving business in agriculture, tourism and mining and it is our
duty that we eliminate corruption in our jurisdiction since it disturbs our socio-
economic growth and national development.
“Those implementing Government programmes should ensure that they uphold
transparency, integrity, accountability and also shun corruption in their work.
Individuals and businessmen should combat corruption and crime in their daily
routine as we journey towards the attainment of Vision 2030, said Ncube.
ZACC launched the rural campaign to ensure that all the National Development
Strategy 1 (NDS1) goals are achieved. They have conducted the first round of the
campaign covering all the eight rural provinces in the country.
The campaign was well attended, with among them interim Chief Nhlamba, senior
Government officials and members of the community.
