MUTARE residents have raised concern over the rise in corruption cases at both Mutare City Council and the Mutare Rural District Council (RDC).
This came out during a regional anti-corruption indaba organised by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) under the theme: Taking Stock of the Anti-Corruption Agenda.
Freeman Bosvo, representing civic society said: “Why does council not be transparent enough by publishing in the Press the names of stand beneficiaries like what the local universities do in publishing students who would have got places at the institutions?”
Nyasha Mukonori, also from the civic society sector, said he was concerned about corrupt procurement and tendering processes.
“What are the benchmarks for tendering? The tendering system is not transparent. How does the council review its tenders? Are there any timelines and supervision within the whole system?” asked Mukonori.
Mutare City Council’s Charles Muranda, who was representing acting town clerk, Blessing Chafesuka, said council was doing all it could in fighting corruption.
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“Mutare City Council has embarked on strategies to reduce corruption activities to acceptable levels. We have set up a budget committee that is made up of different key stakeholders that are helping in monitoring and crafting of council operational processes,” Muranda said.
He said council had an internal integrity committee that monitored the behaviour of its employees.
“As a council, we have also digitised our operations. We have put in place the Local Authority Digital System. This is a software that is designed as a solution to accounting systems, among others,” said Muranda.
Councillor Herbert Gonyora representing Mutare RDC said his council was giving employees groceries to encourage them to stop soliciting for bribes.
“Usually low salaries influence corruption. As council we have been incentivising our members of staff and also providing them with food hampers,” Gonyora said.
“All the tenders are now coming through the main office. We have set up a procurement committee that is well monitored by some residents associations that we always invite to our meetings and opening of tenders.”
Manicaland provincial chief prosecutor Jonathan Chingwinyiso said the National Prosecuting Authority had zero tolerance to corruption.
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